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The Huron Expositor, 1988-02-03, Page 9THE HURON EXPOSITOR. FEBRUARY 3.1980 — A lot has changed in 100 years "I never thought I would get anywhere near this age, I had no reason to think so." Ned Boswell, a Seaforth resident for most of his many years, will be turning 100 -years - old on February 10, 1988. Almost everybody i4 Seaforth knows who Mr. Boswell is, as hy; has been an active member of this com9nunity since he first came here in 1932. 11:was the manager of the Dominion Bank that time, and has CURLING PLAQUE - The Toronto Dominion Bank In Seatorth provided this picture of Mr. Boswell as he presents a successful curler with an award at one of the banks many curling bonspiels. Mr. Boswell was the manager of the Dominion Bank in Seaforth up until 1950. "REMEMBER THOSE GIRLS IN CAIRO SCOTTY" was the caption this pictue came with. Frank Phillips provided this picture of Mr. Boswell and Scotty MacLean taken on an afternoon when they had been enjoying some of Mr. Boswell's homemade wine. They were the only two people in Seaforth tohave served int he Royal Navy. been involved in many other organizations such as the Lions club, the Royal Canadian Legion, and the Seaforth Curling Club. But while Mr. Boswell's roots are firmly implanted in Seaforth now, they were not always here. He was born in Cobourg, On- tario and it was there that he got his first bank job. The Cobourg branch of the Domi- nion Bank hired him in 1906 when he was just 18 -years -old. Like most of those in banking, Mr. Boswell did a lot of travelling as 'he was transferred from branch to branch. But he took over as manager of the Seaforth branch when he arrived here, and he managed to stay here until his retirement 18 years later in 1950. - Mr. Boswell says there were a lot of fac- tors that kept him hi Seaforth after his retirement. He had just bought a house, he belonged to a lot of organizations, and had a number of good friends here. "If you ever ! : ve a good friend hang onto him with all your strength," advises Mr. Boswell. "It's something you can't buy and they'll do a lot for you." He says he has two or three good friends -as well as a number of good acquaintances - that he has kept for a long time and they still come to see him. The secret of Mr. Boswell's longevity is a mystery even to him. He both smoked and drank for much of his life. He says he quit smoking about 25 or 30 years ago, but prior to that he had smoked all his life -even as a small boy. But approximately a quarter century ago he was laid -up with a cigarette cough. He says one day the doctor came in to see him, and at the end of his checkup he left Mr. Boswell one cigarette so that he didn't suffer too badly from nicotine withdrawal. Mr. Boswell took the cigarette, but found he really didn't like or want it and that was when he quit. His advice is that if you really want to quit something, boast about it. If you let everyone know what you are doing it puts more pressure on you to live up to your bold words. • While he may have been a smoker, Mr. Boswell has always done a lot to keep himself active and in shape. As he puts it "I did a, little bit of everything except play hockey." Mr. Boswell may not have been interested in hockey, but he got out on the ice plenty as an avid curler. He was still an active member of the Seaforth Curling Club up un- til four years ago, at the age of 96, and name is on few of the trophies at the club. H finally had to quit because his vision w beginning to fail. For the last few years teammates would help him to see his sho by bringing a flashlight onto the ice to mar his targets, but he eventually retired fro the club after a half century as a member. Mr. Boswell's other great love In terms o sports was rowing, and he belonged to th Argonaut Rowing Club in Toronto in younger days. "I had a strong back and a weak mind an I ended up on one end of an oar," says Mr Boswell. He was also the coxswain of the Junior 8 a the Rowing Club in St. Catherine's and rac ed competitively against clubs from O tawa, Detroit and Toronto. Mr. Boswell also enjoyed stream fishin and golf, and was something of a painter. H has retained few of his paintings. "If somebody came to the house and ad mired a picture I would say you can have it," says Mr. Boswell, adding "and if I got offered money for a picture I would thank God and take it." -So if there is anything that can be cited as a probable cause of Mr. Boswell's long life, it is his constant activity. And he remains comparatively active today. Up until a few months ago he was com- pletely independent; still living in his own house, and still going downtown everyday to get his mail and do his shopping., But a few months ago he was found to be not getting enough in his meals and he became a little "run down." His family became worried about him and he agreed to move into Maplewood Manor. He says he is very com- fortable there and considers it a very good place. "I'd rather be here than any kind of nurs- ing home. A nursing home would be like a prison. Here I can get out if I want to. What Mr. Boswell does miss is reading. He has always enjoyed reading and writing, and says he especially enjoyed classical literature. He has a copy of Robinson Crusoe published in in 1810 that used to belong to his grandfather, and a copy of Gulliver's Travels from 1790 that was handed down from his great-grandfather. Mr. Boswell lived through a time when the most horsepower most vehicles saw depend- ed on how many horses you had, and when gasoline was dumped into rivers as the useless by-product of coal -oil. He remembers seeing Allcock and Brown fly the first plane to cross the Atlantic in 1918. And after 100 years of seeing the world change around him, Mr. Boswell has what would still be called good health and his heart and lungs are in excellent condition. On February 10 -Mr. Boswell's 100th birthday- at 11 a.m. the General Manager of the Toronto Dominion Bank for all Canada will be making a presentation to Mr. Boswell. Many of Mr. Boswell's friends and family will be present at the Seaforth Branch of the T.D. for this special occasion. �._hf►ve :, ey 4eriously regrettedi anything I've dohet''says Mr. Boswell look- ing back, "and I have enjoyed a good life and a happy one." Maplewood Manor 13 Church St., Seaforth 527 440 Tasty Nu Bakery 14 Main St., Seaforth 5274803 Seaforth Manor 100 James St., Seaforth 527-0030 Seaforth Golf & Country Club R.R. 4, Seaforth 527-0985 Hoffmeyer Mill Ltd. 112 High St., Seaforth 527-0910 McLaughlin Chev Olds - 13 Main St., Seaforth 527-1140 Etue Insurance Agency 32 Main St., Scaforth 527-0720 AVID CURLER - Ned Boswell curled for fif- ty years -until he was 96- and has been a member of the Seaforth curling club since his earliest days in Seaforth. This picture was taken the day he threw his last rock four years ago. Photo courtesy Seaforth curling club. Middegaal Pools 234 Main St., Scaforth 527-0104 Frank Phillips Photographer 45 George St., Seaforth 527-1302 REMEMBRANCE DAY - At the Legion Branch 156 Remembrance Day ceremony about e s are a toast. • hoto courtes Philii • s. THE TORONTO DOMINION BANK provid ed this picture of Mr. Boswell as he reciev ed an award for a curling bonspiel the bank sponsored. Shinen's glen's & Ladies' wear 30 Main St., Seaforth 527-0278 R.R. 4, Seaforth 527-0608 Murray Cardiff MP Huron Bruce Holmsted House R.R. 2, Seaforth 527-2040 Pizza Train 22 Godcrich St. W1'., Seaforth 527-0180 Ray's Family Market Egmondville 5274380 CJ.'s Auto Service 23 Goderich St., Seaforth 527-0333 Chippers Chicken Goderich St., Seaforth 527-0220 • Main St., Seaforth 527-0505 Hart Ford Mercury 220 Main St., Seaforth 5271010