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80th birthday and family reunion garners massive town gathering

On a cloudy Medstead day, slate gray sky entangled with bright green foliage, the village hall saw a crowd of well over 80 smiling people. The event was in celebration of long term Medstead resident Gladys Jesse’s 80th birthday.
Gladys Jesse
Gladys Jesse, long term resident of Medstead celebrates 80th birthday. Photo by Corrina Murdoch

On a cloudy Medstead day, slate gray sky entangled with bright green foliage, the village hall saw a crowd of well over 80 smiling people. The event was in celebration of long term Medstead resident Gladys Jesse’s 80th birthday. This octogenarian milestone served not only as a huge draw for locals to whom Gladys is very dear, but also as a family reunion for the woman of the day.

Gladys gracefully greeted family members from regions spanning the map. Relatives from Armstrong, British Columbia, Humboldt, Saskatoon, North Battleford and the Medstead area filled the room to celebrate the wonderful and kind woman who brought the whole clan together.

Gladys Jesse has lived in Medstead for 52 years, having resided in the municipality even before it had running water. Jesse has four children and seven grandchildren, with a broad family tree spanning generations. According to her daughter, when Gladys first came to Medstead she ran the store with her husband. Upon Gladys’ husband starting a plumbing business, she continued to run the store herself.

Jesse is one of the friendliest faces in Medstead. From greeting and welcoming newcomers with a smile and a cup of coffee, to becoming a friend and role model to members of the youngest generation of locals, Gladys is a truly graceful and kind town icon.

The celebration at the village hall was a testament to her great character. Not only did the event host family, but in the welcoming spirit of Gladys herself, opened the event to everyone in the community. The invitation drew everyone from the mayor and wife, members of town council to local friends and community members, all arriving to give best wishes and bring cheer to the day.

The hall was laid out tastefully, with drinks, cold and hot set up at the back. Tiered trays of cupcakes, decorated with numbers one through 80 were laid out so nicely that a family member brought them table to table for guests to eat; the design was so nice no one wanted to disturb it. In the background ran a slideshow with photos of Gladys and family, bringing an air of happy memories throughout the busy room.

The table at the entrance had a Happy Birthday display where guests left cards and gifts.  The table had a signing sheet whose pages filled more and more as the time ticked onwards. A box filled up as people wrote on decorative flashcards their fondest memories of the lady of the day. Scrapbook style poster board adorned the sides of the hall, filled with pictures from branches of a sizeable family tree. 

People socialized and snacked as Gladys spent time with everyone in the room for the open event from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. Later on the event became a family reunion to further celebrate the kind soul that drew everyone to the hall on June 17.

The day was a true testament to the power that one person has to improve the world, through welcoming smiles and kind words. It further represented just how far such an influence can spread and how one person can be a major factor in the history and cultural identity of a community.