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Family celebrates mother’s 99 years of hard work, dedication and never-ending love

August 23rd, 2019

Every birthday is a once in a lifetime event, but the number 99 has a particularly special ring to it. The whole community of Points West Living Peace River recently celebrated Anne Kuran’s 99^th birthday. Anne was one of PWL Peace River’s first residents when it opened in the fall of 2013.

Family arrives in time for spring seeding

Anne Kuran (Vitanovec) was born in Habovka, Czechoslovakia on August 5, 1920. When she was four years old, her father left for Canada to work in the coal mines near Luscar Alberta. Six years later, Anne, along with her sister and mother joined him on the homestead he had acquired south of the village of Nampa. They arrived April 1, just in time to prepare the land for spring seeding.

When Anne was 17, she met and soon married her husband Frank. They moved to Trail BC and started their family, but after going back to Alberta to help with the harvest after the accidental death of her father, they decided to make Nampa their permanent home.

"Family has meant the world to her"

They worked on the farm in the spring and summer, and over the years took on many jobs, including waitressing, custodial work, and driving a school bus to support themselves and their three children.

Those children, now with children and grandchildren of their own, honoured Anne at the PWL celebration. They shared their appreciation for their mother in a brief biography, saying the lives of Anne and Frank (who passed away in 1994) became a lasting family legacy of perseverance, solidarity and sacrifice. “(Anne) learned early in her life about hard work ethic and helping out family and others… Her unselfish care and service to many, along with her deep faith became an endearing and precious role-modeling to all of her family… Anne exemplified dedication, loyalty and the never-ending love of wife and mother; Family has meant the world to her.”

Photo: Anne Kuran celebrated her 99th birthday with family – including her brother Charlie Vitanovec (the youngest of Anne's three siblings) and his wife Theresa who were celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary – friends, care partners, and fellow residents.

More photos at Flickr: Family celebrates mother’s 99 years of hard work, dedication and never-ending love