Robichaud celebrates 100th birthday

    Delia Mary Willette Robichaud was born on Aug. 9, 1913. The daughter of Lucy and Joseph Willette, she was born in the Canadian rural neighborhood of Newcastle, in the city of Miramichi, New Brunswick. Delia was one of 13 children and would often reminisce about growing up with a large family in Canada.

Contributed photo

    100TH BIRTHDAY — Earlier this month Delia Mary Willette Robichaud turned 100. Family members helped her celebrate the milestone during a gathering at the Hibbard Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Dover-Foxcroft.

    Joseph Willette, originally from Old Town, moved his family back to the U. S. and settled in Bangor when Delia was 11 years of age. The transition from school in Canada to school in this country was difficult for Delia. Whenever she talked about this time in her life, she would always say how much she “hated school” and how mean the nuns were. As a teenager, Delia began work at Freese’s Department Store on Main Street in Bangor, where she was employed until meeting her husband. At the age of 19, Delia met and married Lionel “Pete” Robichaud and moved to Corinna. She remained a Corinna resident throughout her adult life.
    Delia and Pete raised their five children; Sylvia, Sallie, Edward, Fred (PeeWee) and Eunice on the Happy Corner Farm located on the Corinna Center Road. “The Farm” continued to be a place of love and enjoyment, not only for her five children, but also for her 15 grandchildren and many of her great-grandchildren. Delia was an exceptional cook and well known for her banana bread and biscuits; no one went hungry at The Farm. She enjoyed a lively game of Skip-Bo whenever she could talk someone into playing with her. Through the years, Delia’s favorite hobby was working in her two large vegetable gardens; her family and neighbors reaped the rewards of her hard work.
    Delia’s greatest love was her family. Her grandchildren learned early, if Mom said no, go see Nannie. Delia proudly boasted that she took 11 of her 15 grandchildren for their driver’s tests. Those same grandchildren fondly remember practicing with Nannie’s new car in the pasture, dodging the cows and the cow patties. During her retirement, Delia and her grandchildren made many trips to Monson Camp to have picnics on the front porch, play cards at the kitchen table and go swimming in Wilson Pond.
    On Saturday, Aug. 10, family members gathered at the Hibbard Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Dover-Foxcroft to celebrate the 100th birthday of this extraordinary, and very much loved, woman.