Emily Mastel Schmaltz – 100 Years in the making

Emily Mastel Schmaltz Bio

Born 11^th, into a family of 14, on May 21, 1923, Emily Mastel Schmaltz turned 100 years young this year. 

Emily grew up in Liebenthal, SK surrounded by six brothers (Joseph died at 3 days old) and seven sisters. Growing up in a large family meant there was always lots to do and plenty of willing hands to do it. All her life, Emily would keep busy with school, chores, feeding family and hired help, and becoming involved in the communities where she and her future husband, Frank, would settle. She developed an avid interest in baking, music, crafts and dancing, and still does all of those activities in her 100^th year. This is the story of Emily and the making of 100 years of family. 

Frank and Mary Eva (Kuntz) Mastel (Emily’s parents), emigrated from Russia with their two children, Pauline and Mike. After a winter in New York, the family moved to Canada and remained briefly in Odessa, SK before settling in Liebenthal, SK in 1910. The Mastel family lived in a covered wagon while their mud hut was being built and after eight years in the mud hut moved in 1918 to a newly constructed two-story house on a farmstead in the RM of Happyland. 

Pauline (1907), Mike (1909), Joseph (1911—died at three days old), Melonia (1912), Joseph (1913), Veronica (1915), Maynard (1917), Pius (1918), Anna Mary (1920), Eugene (1922), Emily (1923), Cecil (1924), Rose (1926), and Gertrude (1931) are all the members of the Mastel family. Emily is the only remaining sibling.

Emily attended school at Nicefield, a two -mile walk from the farm. Her sister, Mary, would get up at 5 am to make dough so it was ready to fry to take for school lunches. The children would leave for school around 8:30 and walk the 2 miles winter and summer. After completing grade 8, Emily quit school to help at home. Her days were filled with taking lunches to the farm workers, driving the team of horses at threshing time, hauling wheat, milking cows in order to ship cream, hauling ice to the ice cellar in the spring, embroidering tea towels and pillow cases made from flour sacks, and a lot of baking!

Emily met and then married Frank Schmaltz on June 2, 1942. They were married for 72 years and had 10 children: five boys and five girls. Terry (1943), Ray (1944), Pat (1946), Cecil (1948), Don (1949), Donna (1953), Sandi (1956), Gerard (1959), Cyndy (1960), and Gary (1963). Frank was involved with ranching most of his life until retirement, managing pastures for the PFRA. His work took the family to several rural areas in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Upon Frank’s retirement, he and Emily settled in Medicine Hat where he took on other jobs with The Co-op Furniture Store, Commissionaire at the Suffield Experimental Station and maintenance for the Public School Division.

All their hard work establishing themselves in different communities was rewarded with family get togethers, music and dancing, and ball games on the weekends. 100 years goes by quickly when you are living a full and rewarding life!

Bev Biggeman

Bev has graciously agreed to write the Emily Schmaltz stories.

A Little Bit About Me, Bev Biggeman

I laughed when I met Emily Schmaltz for the first time, and she referred to her “damn arthritis”. I could sympathize with her as my arthritis can be bothersome some times, but it sure doesn’t stop Emily from being lively, full of stories, and just a lovely person to spend time with reminiscing about the last 100 years.

Indeed, she does have a few years on me (she celebrated her 100^th birthday this year and I turned 71).  She is one in a family of 14, as am I. She and I are the 11^th born in each of our families. We both grew up on a farm, Emily in Liebenthal, SK and me, on a farm near Westlock, AB. 

Our paths have crossed because of a shared friendship with Jeanette Zollner, the President of the Medicine Hat Cowboy Life Foundation. When asked to participate in this local history project, I was happy to get involved because of my shared love of telling stories about growing up in a large family and on a mixed farm.

I am always intrigued to talk to others who have a similar upbringing; after all, growing up with 13 siblings is a very different experience than growing up with 3 or 4 brothers and sisters, or as a single child. For instance, one loaf of bread doesn’t go very far making lunches for a big family working outside for long hours. In turn, Emily and her husband, Frank Schmaltz, had 10 children. 

Many of our shared stories have to do with the amount of money we had (or had not), the things we did to entertain ourselves, the chores we had to do, and the many skills we have developed because of learning to cooperate with others. It has really been an honour to engage with Emily Schmaltz, a true pioneer and a beautiful person.

Story #1 Growing Up in a Big Family

Do you know someone who has grown up in a big family, of more than ten children, for instance? What are the questions you would like to ask when you find out that person has five or six sisters and an equal number of brothers? Do you wonder about meal times, special events, or clothing options for that many children? Have you ever thought about how those families all get to church on time?

When you come from a family of 14, and you in turn have 10 children of your own, and you have lived for 100 years, your answers can cover a lot of ground. I asked Emily a few questions about growing up in a big family on a farm. Her answers were forthright, as is her nature, and full of pride for a life well-lived. As often happens when you visit with someone who has lived a full life, there are so many more questions that bubble up while you are detailing the highlights. These questions offer us a small glimpse into Emily’s life:

Bev: Describe a typical day on the farm.
Emily: We would get up early to milk the cows before breakfast. We always had five or six cows and learned how to milk them. You always learned how to do things from others in the family. We would separate the milk, take the milk cans to the ice cellar and pour the cream into the cream can which was loaded on the wagon and taken to town by horses. In the spring we would chop ice out of the sloughs
and keep it in the ice cellar below ground where we kept the milk and vegetables all summer.
We would have breakfast, hot cereal, oatmeal or cream of wheat, and then go off to school. After school there were more chores to do, supper to make, and then a snack of bread and cold milk before we went to bed. Mondays and Friday were spent baking bread. In order to feed our large family, 20 loaves were made at a time. Baking day also meant noodles for supper and garlic babushka. Once a week the foam had to be cleared on the sauerkraut crock so the cabbage wouldn’t rot. Meat was put up and food was canned in jars as there was no refrigerator.

Bev: Looking back over the years, what was your favourite memory of growing up in a big family on a farm?
Emily: We had a lot of farming to do, but in the evenings, we would walk to our cousins who lived nearby and visit. We did a lot of visiting, and we played a lot of cards! Uncle Vincent always came to visit in the afternoons.

Bev: Tell a funny story about life with several brothers and sisters.
Emily: One year on Christmas Eve, my brother dressed in Dad’s old long-haired fur coat and crawled into the living room on his hands and knees carrying a big chain. He rattled the chain to scare us. I guess that was before Santa Claus arrived in a sleigh.

Bev: Did you go on a vacation somewhere with the entire family?
Emily: We couldn’t afford to go on a vacation, and Dad didn’t know how to drive. When he finally bought an Oldsmobile, he took it to the back of the house and when he mistook the gas for the brake, he ran into the corner of the house. Our vacations consisted of attending family weddings and meeting up with cousins and neighbours.

Bev: How did you entertain yourselves on the farm?
Emily: Mom sang in the church choir with my sister Verronica’s husband’s parents. My sister Veronica and her husband Pete, who played the organ, took over the choir which we sang in. On the weekends we would meet my cousins, Uncle Vincent’s girls and visit them. They would come up to skate on the big
slough down from the house. My brother Eugene made skates with an 8” piece of wood and put two wires on the bottom and tied them to our feet. They really worked! My brother Maynard played the accordion and was in a band with Uncle Vincent and cousins Mary and Rose. We would carry their instruments in the snow to dances at the school and dance until 1 or 2 in the morning.

Bev: Did you have pets on the farm?
Emily: We had dogs and cats, but we never had them in the house, they weren’t allowed. We had horses and cows, pigs and chickens.

Bev: What was your favourite subject in school?
Emily: Spelling: I was always a good speller and later on when Frank worked for the PFRA, I was the secretary and I helped with his work.

Bev: Who was your best friend in school?
Emily: My cousin Rose Kuntz. We were close to the same age. We used to walk to and from school and talk all the way there and back.

Bev: What was the chore you least liked at home?
Emily: We had to do all the work, like it or not, but I guess I disliked scrubbing the floors the most. Every Saturday we had to wash the walls and scrub the floors to get ready for Sunday church and family get togethers.

Bev: Tell me about your parents.
Emily: Dad was a real nice guy, hardworking and calm, quiet. He died on April 25, 1951. Mom was a good person. She often solved the problems, kept others from fighting. She passed on October 31, 1967. Although she couldn’t speak a word of English, she understood it and was able to communicate with others who did not speak German.

Bev: Did you ever have to wear hand-me-downs?
Emily: No, my mother sewed our clothes. We were all different sizes so we never wore each other’s clothes. I remember I was so happy to get a pair of slacks one year at harvest as the grasshoppers were so bad and the stubble so sharp that my legs would get sore.

Bev: At what age did you learn to drive?
Emily: I hauled wheat with horses at around age 16, but I didn’t learn how to drive until I got married. Frank taught me how to drive but mostly I practiced on my own. I knew how to drive a standard and never had any incidents.

Bev: Who taught you how to dance?
Emily: My cousin would play tunes on a cigarette paper wrapped around a comb and we would teach each other to dance. Later on, my favourite dance became the polka. I always had a soft spot for the song, Heartaches by the Number.

Bev: Rural living is often centered around getting together to eat. Describe your favourite meal to cook.
Emily: I always enjoyed cooking up a big turkey meal with all the fixings. I often served German potato salad (usually made with vinegar, instead of mayonnaise), and served warm. For dessert, our go-to dish was jello, topped with custard. With a big family and hired men to cook for, I became a very good cook.

Growing up in a large family does mean growing up with several brothers and sisters, but not all together. By the time the last child in a family of 14 is born, the first child is out of school and making his or her way in the work world, or perhaps starting a household somewhere else. Indeed, there may be 6 or 8 people at the supper table on a regular basis, but this just means there are plenty of people to help share the workload: peeling potatoes, shelling peas, or making biscuits. When meals are finished, there are always those whose turn it is to do the dishes or sweep the floors. Weekends are mostly the time when the house is once again full; or holidays, when brothers and sisters return home and the house is overfull. If they are working on their own, they always bring special treats or store-bought items that are shared. Growing up in a big family is like having your best friends stay over on a regular basis. As is often said in double-digit families: The More the Merrier!

Story #2 On the Move

Emily often ponders all that she has done and the long life she has lived. She wonders why it is that she has lived for 100 years, outliving all her brothers and sisters. Was it the love of family and friends, the forever hard work, the constant list of chores, or the bone-hardening weather that gave her the strength to carry on? Was it the need to get up and go, to care for others, to provide sustenance under any circumstances, and to make each day matter, that drove Emily to live a fulsome life? Maybe it was just good genes.

Indeed, Emily probably did not think of any of these things on a day-to-day basis. She simply did them. She would get up in the morning at 5, make meals, do laundry, bake, clean house, and after getting married to Frank Schmaltz, bear 10 children, look after their needs, welcome them home from school, sing, dance, and entertain friends and neighbours, and then, just like that, she turned 100. 

Emily’s husband, Frank, farmed briefly, but was much more interested in ranching. He was a cowboy through and through and enjoyed the cowboy lifestyle. He loved to ride horses and manage pastures. Perhaps it was his love for horses and the cowboy way of life that led Frank and Emily to many different workplaces in southwest Saskatchewan and southeastern Alberta. 

One day in April, 1948, Frank came home and announced they would be moving to Gem, AB as he had a job offer at a ranch. Emily was expecting Cecil, their fourth child. Just prior to moving to Gem, Cecil was born. His birth was heralded by a snow storm, with Emily driving the car hooked behind the tractor, riding on the tractor when the clutch went out on the car as far as Maddison, SK, and then riding in Jim Kellington’s two-ton truck to Kindersley. They would be on the road for 8 hours! Frank and Emily, and new baby Cecil, returned to Glidden to pack up and move to Gem. Frank worked with Bill Christianson cutting hay and working cattle. Gem was a small town with only a store, an elevator and a dance hall and a small, two-bedroom house which was soon to be their new home. 

By November of that year (1948), Frank and Emily moved to Tilley, AB to work for Westerguard Peterson looking after the irrigation system. A few months later, Frank would be hired on by Perry Minor to work cattle on the Mitchell place south of Tilley. He also worked for Joe Fischer and Fred Walker hauling straw for the cattle and fixing fences while Emily began to cook meals for the men. 

In April of 1952, Frank was offered a job at Millington’s Dairy Farm, which is the site of the present-day Echo Dale Park, 8 miles west of Medicine Hat. They would milk 60 cows and deliver milk to the Crystal Dairy. The accommodations were nice and Emily and Frank took advantage of the opportunities afforded by living close to a bigger centre. They would go to shows and get together with friends for a night out.

Once an opening for a pasture manager at Newcombe Pasture near Glidden came up in April of 1953, Frank started work while Emily moved home to Liebenthal to stay with her mom until the house was ready in Glidden. The kids attended school in Goldeye. When the weather was good, they would ride their ponies to school, when the weather got colder, Ray, the oldest boy, would drive the one-horse sleigh with the others snuggled in to the back of the sleigh, to Mohningers, and then take the bobsleigh from there. When they started school in Glidden, neighbours would drive them to and from school until school buses finally took over. 

In 1966, Frank was asked if he wanted to manage the pasture at Naslyn, near Consul , SK. Consul was a family community. The whole family went to dances and sang in talent shows and at church. 

In 1973, the Davidson/Elbow Pasture opened up and Frank was offered the job. On the move again, we soon settled into the community of Davidson. Frank had 65-70 bulls to feed all winter. He used a horse and sleigh and many times had to drive through drifts to fill feed troughs. Frank raised quarter horses and showed them at horse shows. He would often bring home medals and awards. He absolutely loved this part of his life. The boys were all involved in riding and breaking horses on our place. Each of them had an opportunity to keep this interest as part of their lives. 

Frank and Emily would move to Medicine Hat in December, 1979.  They kept busy playing cards, dancing, and fishing. After suffering a stroke in 2009, Frank moved into Sunnyside Senior Home and lived there until he passed in 2014. Emily remained in their condo.

Emily stays busy dancing with friends and living on her own. She now lives in Meadowlands in Medicine Hat.

So, what is the secret to a long life, such as Emily Schmaltz has lived? Is it because she always had a purpose? Some researchers say having a goal is a good motivator to get through each day. Is it because she was part of a big community, both as a child and as an adult? There was always a support group to help her through the highs and lows. Is faith a strong contributor to a long and worthwhile life? Is regular church going a factor in longevity like regular yoga and meditation? Is a “proper diet” the key? Every culture has its own food source they swear gives them extra years. Does a hearty laugh add years to your life? Maybe all of these, or some, extend your life. And maybe it is just the “luck of the draw”. As Emily says,  Take it a day at a time and soon you get to be 100!

Story #3 Emily’s Beautiful Children

If you are a member of a large family, you never think of it that way. It is only when other people register surprise at this that your situation seems unusual or special. As a member of a family of 14, I was often asked, “Same mother, same father?” To which I would nod my head and watch as people became more interested, or more astonished. I never thought of my family as large: I thought it was normal to have lots of brothers and sisters.

Sometimes, it felt like we were a family of 5 or 6 when we gathered around the table, 2 or 3 when we had to weed the garden, or 7 or 8 when we went to church. Weekends, the family would number 12 or 15 on holidays and the tables would stretch from the living room, through the dining room and into the kitchen. You considered yourself an adult if you got a seat in the living room, a big kid if you got to sit in the dining room, and a small fry if you had to eat in the kitchen. Where you sat at the dining table was a rite of passage in our house. It was like reaching puberty or graduating from high school. The other thing about growing up in a large family which is really cool is that you are a member of an equally large community. 10 children go to school and make 10 friends, perhaps they pair up with ten more, they may raise 3 or 4 children who have 4 or 5 friends who continue to be a part of a community and so on and so on. After a while, the members of that community create a very large network!

You would have to ask Emily’s children what their experiences were when it comes to being a part of a large family. You will surely be able to make a connection with one or more of them and you may even be related to one of them in the process!

Theresa (Terri), Eston 1943

Terri enjoyed life even with the hardships she faced. She was a wonderful singer, piano player, and dancer. She taught others to jive and line dance. After graduating from Rosetown, SK, she attended Robertson Business College in Saskatoon. She moved to Edmonton, AB and became a very good secretary, much praised for her shorthand skills. She was very involved with the Little People of Canada organization. When her health failed, she moved back to Saskatoon and then Davidson to live with family. Once she was on regular dialysis, she was moved to the Frank Eliason Centre in Saskatoon. She passed away in 1979.

Raymond (Ray), Eston 1944

Ray was always interested in animals and was a hard worker, even helping the neighbours at harvest time when he was only 9 years old. He had a horse he called Happy and spent hours with him. He attended Robertson Business College while living with Terri in Saskatoon. He worked for CN and then moved on to Air Canada where he worked until he retired. He married Gail Foster and they have two children, Joel and Mike. Joel married Shannon Dowdall;  they live in Saskatoon and have two boys, Tyler and Luke. Mike married Kathy Wantuk,and they have two daughters, Sierra and Kaleah.

Patricia (Pat), Eston, 1946

Pat was Emily’s right-hand helper when she was growing up, helping with younger siblings and doing yard and garden work, house cleaning and cooking. Pat married Bill Thomson. They lived in Saskatoon most of their married life. They have three children: Tim (Saskatoon), Sheri (Airdrie) and Lori (Martensville). Tim has two children: Taylor and Matt. Sheri has four children: Colton, Wyatt, Dustin and Dallas. Sheri’s oldest son, Colton, has two children: Annabelle and William. Lori has three children: Ernie, Josh and Danyka.  Lori’s partner Dallas has one daughter, Sophie. Pat and Bill retired to Medicine Hat in 2005. Bill recently passed away and Pat has moved back to Saskatoon to be close to her family.

Cecil, (Cec) Eston, 1948

Cecil was quiet and helped Frank with the chores and rode pasture on weekends. Cecil graduated from Kindersley Composite High School and then went on to Vocational Ag in Saskatoon. After marrying Velma Wardberg, they moved to North Battleford where Cecil worked for the Department of Agriculture. They moved to a small farm south of North Battleford where they raised three children: Annette, Cory and Jason. Cecil divorced and married Betty Munshaw, and moved near Prince Albert, then to Colonsay and they now live in Saskatoon. Annette married Chris Smith and they have four kids: Tristan, Michaela, Cheyanne and Jesse. Sadly, Chris passed away in 2007 and Annette has raised the children on her own. Cory has three children: Denovah, Cassidy and Breanna. Jason spends his time working on machines and racing snowmobiles and more.

Donald (Don), Brooks 1949

Don was the jokester in the family! He could make anyone smile even in the worst of moods. He made friends quickly and was always the life of the party. Sadly, Don was killed in a car accident in 1967 south of Maple Creek, SK. A life taken too soon.

Donna, Eston 1953

Donna was a real go-getter, always helping in the garden and kitchen, and cleaning house. She attended the Convent in Prelate for one year in high school. After a couple of stints at restaurants and a senior’s home, Donna was accepted into Business College at North Battleford, finishing a Legal Secretary course. She met and married Jim Siroski and live on a mixed farm just west of Davidson, Sk. They had three children Stacey, Jamie, and Brett. Stacey married Rosaire Belisle and has two children Layne and Grayson. Brett married Brenna Cool and they have three children Regan, Nolan and Amy and live on the family farm.

Sandra (Sandi), Eston 1956

Sandi was the tomboy, helping outside whenever possible. After graduating from high school in Davidson, she went on to complete a Medical Secretarial course. She worked at the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. She married Lorne Zentner and they moved to Consul to ranch. Sandi and Lorne had two children, Kent and Kristine. Kent manages a family meat business in Calgary called Silver Sage Beef. Kristine married Monty Koopman and they have three children Emerson, Bronx and Holden.

Gerard, Eston 1959

Gerard was a gentle soul who loved working with his dad and being out with the animals, riding and roping. The oil fields in Northern Alberta took him up to Sexsmith where he fell in love with the country there. He worked at the UGG elevator in Sexsmith and then on to Wanham where he stayed through the transition to Agricore United. He cared for his partners’ grandchildren, Jackson and Cole, from the time they were babies. He passed away tragically in 2014. He left behind so many good memories for his family to share.

Cynthia (Cyndy), Eston 1960

Cyndy is a talented girl; music is very important to her. She taught herself to play piano and guitar. After graduating from Davidson High School, Cyndy worked part time at the senior’s home in Davidson. When her parents retired to Medicine Hat, Cyndy moved with them and took a year of nursing. Realizing her real love was working with children, she applied for a job at Irvine School as an Educational Assistant working with a special needs child. She went on to complete her Education degree and worked as a teacher and then Vice Principal of the Irvine school. She was a member of the Country Squire band and then for 18 years sang for Southern Comfort, a country rock band. She married Darren Lutz in 1991. They ranch south of Walsh.

Gary, Kindersley 1963

Gary was a sweet, mischievous, cute little boy who was soon spoiled by the entire family. Gary moved to Medicine Hat also and graduated from McCoy High School.He married June Peter and managed Panorama Bowling Lanes in Medicine Hat, and Gateway Rec Centre in Edmonton. They have two children Lauren and Jordan. Gary and June separated shortly after.  Gary married Tammie Jones and they purchased the Millside Bowling Centre in Whitecourt, AB. In 2013, they sold the business and went to work in the oil field. Lauren married Tyler Murray and they have two daughters Emily and Zoey. Jordan and his partner, Carissa have two girls, Quinn and Ryley.

Raising children is not an easy task at the best of times and can be challenging when dealing with ten different personalities and talents. Giving their family a houseful of siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles, friends and neighbours on a regular basis brought a lot of laughter, love and joy to this family. What a wonderful legacy!

Story #4 A Moveable Feast

No matter where Emily lived, she always took her cookbooks with her and was known for her many great meals and delicious baked goods. As often happened when they moved to a new community, (and there were a few), the neighbours would bring over a casserole or a cake to welcome them and their family. Emily moved her family to several locales, but was always able to make a batch of “Spudnuts”, no matter where she lived.

As is so often the case food is the vehicle for bringing people together. Rural people often attend potlucks to which they bring their favourite dish, or try a new recipe to treat the guests. A bowl of salad, a medley of beans, a casserole made of everything in the fridge with rice as the base, or a mixture of meat and vegetables with a sauce serves in a pinch, and for some reason there is always enough to go around, and often some to take home, or leave with the host.

If you have hired help on the farm, as Emily did, she would often cook big meals accompanied by bread or buns. Simple desserts of jello and custard, rice or bread pudding would be offered as a sweet after the meal. 

Emily fed her family with love when she cooked the meals, and never was there a time when the gang went hungry.

Here are a few of Emily’s favourite recipes that served as her “go to” when company was coming or the kids got home from school.

Spudnuts

When Emily first mentioned Spudnuts to me I thought they were something like  potatoes in skins, or a recipe for buns, but it turns out they are doughnuts made with mashed potatoes. My mother always made sugar doughnuts and bread doughnuts (which make my mouth water to this day), but the doughnut holes were the delicacy we all craved. And Mom always let us eat all of them that first day. Doughnuts seem to be a national treasure for all of us. Here is Emily’s original “Spudnut” recipe:

Oatmeal Pancakes

A stack of pancakes for breakfast was a great way to start the day, but pancake night at our house these days is one of our favourite times of the week. Sometimes when nothing else seems right, pancakes and syrup are a great alternative to meat and potatoes. Emily and her children swear by this recipe made with oatmeal:

Raisin Rice pudding

Though many of us did not grow up with rice dishes as the staple of our main courses, rice was a big part of our dessert menu. Raisin Rice Pudding was a favourite choice for a dessert and even now, is the perfect dessert pairing for any meal. Stop at a restaurant along your way through rural Canada and you are likely to be served this dish as part of the roast beef or veal cutlet special.

Turkey and Rice Dressing

Emily’s favourite meal to prepare was roast turkey and all the fixin’s. Whenever I cook a big turkey in my house, I always wonder why I don’t do it more often. It is always such a big hit! The choice of stuffing can be up for debate, but bread or rice takes up the flavour of turkey no matter which is used. Once the turkey is stuffed. and in the oven, I need not worry about it for the rest of the cooking time. I am able to concentrate on the sides and the dessert. There is nothing that says Welcome! more than the smell of turkey cooking in the oven when your guests arrive. The aroma conjures up all the good times to be had when company comes and people gather round the table to share food and fun.

Serving a sweet at the end of the meal is tradition. Even with the popularity of digital recipes on the Internet, most kitchens still have a stack of cookbooks hiding in the pantry or displayed on kitchen shelves. Ask anyone what their favourite dessert might be and they are likely to tell you it is a version of something they ate as a child. Here are a few recipes Emily referred to when she was preparing for guests or feeding the hired help. These recipes will likely show up in most rural cookbooks and are  always foolproof.

Emily grew up in a traditional family where food was the glue that held everyone and everything together. She learned how to cook and bake by listening and watching others. She gathered people around her and fed them with good food and fellowship. To this day Emily is still gathering people around her: laughing, talking, dancing with them and “feeding” them. Emily at 100 years is a moveable feast of love and hope who inspires all who know her.