October 11, 2026
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Mildred Griffith says keeping busy is the answer to a long and happy life. And she should know since she will turn 100, early next month.
Saturday afternoon, the Kincardine woman celebrated this impending milestone with family and friends at the Kincardine Legion.
"You know, I never expected to reach the age of 100," she says, with a laugh. "When I turned 90, I told the UCW (Bervie United Church Women) that they were all invited back to my 100th birthday!
"Life is about hard work, and we had a lot of that. My advice for a long and happy life is to be yourself, and keep busy, that's the important thing, stay involved."
Born Nov. 1, 1926, in Tara, she was the daughter of Cliff and Revina Barfoot. She lived with her family in Colpoys Bay until, at the age of 16, she hitchhiked to Kincardine to find a job. There, she started babysitting for Burton Hodgins.
She met Percy Griffith at a dance in Bervie, and they were married in Wiarton, Nov. 30, 1946. They farmed on the Northline for many years before he retired from farming in 1964, and bought the general store in Bervie. He also worked at Ontario Hydro, retiring in 1984. They raised six daughters.
Percy died March 25, 1990, and Mildred stayed on in Bervie before moving into Kincardine about 10 years later. She lived in her own home for several years and now lives in her own apartment with her daughter, Karen Shanks, and husband, Rod, in downtown Kincardine.
Mildred is a steadfast member of the Bervie Women's Institute and the Bervie UCW. She is a lifetime member of the Women's Institute, and just received a certificate of recognition for 80 years with the organization. She also enjoyed bowling and quilting.
She has always been involved in her community and remains interested in everything that's going on.
Joining in the festivities, Saturday, at the Legion, were her six daughters, Karen Shanks of Kincardine, Myrna Crawford of Kincardine, Marie Griffith of Sundrie, Alberta, Brenda Perverseff of Kincardine, Joanne Little of Peterborough, and Dawn Griffith of Kincardine.
Mildred also has 13 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.
Written ByLiz Dadson is the founder and editor of the Kincardine Record and has been in the news business since 1986.
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