Mary Koran, a long-time resident of Fernie, is turning 100 years old today.
Born in Czechoslovakia on Feb. 1st 1923, Koran moved to Fernie at the age of eight with her mother and siblings. Her father had already arrived in Canada where he had set up a cabin for the family to live in once they arrived.
Every day, Koran and her younger brother would walk approximately 5 km from their cabin on Dicken Road to the Catholic school they attended in the city.
A walk of that distance takes approximately an hour. Today, driving that distance would take 5-10 minutes.
Mary was married in 1943, and with her husband Frank, she raised six children: Joyce, Betty, Bob, Elaine, Frank Jr. and Doug.
She now has 17 grandchildren, 34 great-grandchildren, and 20 great-great-grandchildren.
Later in her life, Mary became a practical nurse and worked in the profession for 25 years.
With the exception of a short stint in Coleman, AB, and the duration of her nursing studies which took place in Lethbridge, Koran lived with her family in Fernie for “pretty much her whole life.”
Despite her age, “she gets around pretty good,” her daughter-in-law Susan Koran told the Free Press. Her memory is also “quite good.”
Mary now stays at the Rocky Mountain Village retirement home.
Her family will be getting together to celebrate her 100th year with a special dinner.