LAKELAND - Born on March 28, 1920, Annie Bergheim (née Sandulac) has lived a life filled with memories of growing up in a large family, followed by raising her own five children on a parcel of land that her grandson continues to farm.
Annie was born in Vegreville in 1920, and spent the early part of her childhood being raised north of Hairy Hill. She was the fifth born in a family of nine girls and four boys. Her parents both came to Canada from Romania as children.
When Annie was a child, her dad decided to move the entire family to Owl River, in the Lac La Biche region. While sitting at her youngest son's home in St. Paul last week, Annie recalled how her dad did a variety of jobs, from farming to logging, and how he once went to jail for a couple months for making moonshine.
He had decided to make and sell moonshine to "make a few bucks," says Annie. And when he saw the police coming, he broke the bottles to dispose of the moonshine, but there was enough left that the police sent her dad to jail. It's a story that continues to be told by family members.
In the winter, Annie and her siblings would walk to school, crossing the lake for a shorter trip. In the spring and summer months, the same walk was about three to four miles. While the family raised a variety of animals on their farm, Annie also recalls how her dad used to shoot a deer a week in the winter to feed their large family.
The family did whatever they had to for survival. Annie herself helped butcher animals, she helped in the garden, and milked cows. She still remembers the day she and her oldest brother had to help their dad get two bulls to town in Lac La Biche. While their dad went ahead of them, Annie and George had to coax and chase the animals for 20 miles.
As the kids got older, they would leave the family home.
When Annie was about 14 years old, she went to stay with a family, helping look after four school-aged children and doing chores, in the Goose Lake area, north of Rich Lake. She was paid $9 a day, which was eventually raised to $10 a day. It was in that area that she eventually met her future husband - Tom Bergheim.
The two were married on April 18, 1938. Annie was 18 years old, and Tom was 13 years older.
"He made himself (seem) a lot younger than he was," she says, with a laugh.
The newlyweds settled in the same area. At first, they paid rent on a piece of land with a long home on it. Then, in 1949, they began making payments on the land, which totalled $3,000.
"And, we still own it," says Annie. Her grandson now farms and lives on the property.
In 1962, power was brought to the farm, and in 1971, they got running water. Annie and Tom had five kids - Joan (Suhan), Doris (Clarke), Leonard, Kenneth and Dennis.
When the Bergheim's first settled in the region, it would take a day to travel to Lac La Biche for groceries with a team of horses, and a day to come home. While the family did get a vehicle in the 1940s, Annie says it would sometimes get a flat tire, or would need to be pulled by the horses to start in the winter.
Dennis recalls how when his grandpa, Annie's dad, would come visit, he would pick mushrooms in the area. But, because his eyesight was starting to fail, Annie wouldn't let the kids eat the mushrooms until a day later, after her dad had eaten them, to make sure no one would get sick.
He also remembers how the family would sleep in the hay loft in the summers, because it would be too hot in the house after the wood stove would be used all day to can and preserve food for the family.
Annie recalls how the family would go to Ironwood Lake every Sunday in the summer, meeting up with the whole district.
"We would all eat together," she says.
Annie also enjoyed watching baseball and cheering for the Expos, Montreal's team at the time, along with playing cards and floor curling at Rich Lake Hall. She was known in the Rich Lake area for her homemade bread and would often win ribbons at local competitions for her bread.
When asked what he remembers most about his mom while growing up, Dennis says simply "the hard work."
"She was always so busy. She never stopped and never complained."
He also describes her as a great mother who raised her kids to work hard.
"She set a very, very good example for us," says Dennis.
In 1971, Annie and Tom purchased a house package from Beaver Lumber in St. Paul for $21,000, and built a new home.
Tom passed away at the age of 69. Annie, being 13 years younger, decided to stay on the farm. She remained there until she was 94 years old.
As for the secret to living a long life, Annie says it's simple: "eating garlic," and of course, "hard work."
When she moved to the Lacalta Lodge in Lac La Biche six years ago, Annie knew it was time to leave the farm, but struggled with adjusting to a slower pace.
As Annie's 100th birthday neared, the family started to put plans in place to celebrate the milestone. But, then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and Annie was forced to celebrate at the lodge. Roxanne Bergheim, Dennis' wife, says that while it wasn't the celebration they had hope for, the staff at the lodge were wonderful in making Annie feel special.
The family has since had a small gathering, and Annie has been visiting her rather large family. The Bergheim family has grown to include 11 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.
