91原创 resident Helen Odin was amused when she learned it was her 100th birthday.

鈥淭oday, you鈥檙e 100,鈥� her daughter, Joanne, informed her.

鈥淲ho said so?,鈥� Helen demanded.

鈥淵ou are 100,鈥� a slightly flustered Joanne insisted, smiling.

鈥淵eah, I know,鈥� Helen smiled back.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e sweet,鈥� Joanne said, and gave her mom a kiss.

鈥淒id you do something wrong?鈥� Helen teased.

鈥淚 hope I didn鈥檛,鈥� Joanne laughed. 鈥淚 know you鈥檒l punish me if I do that.鈥�

It was a few days before the actual Dec. 19 date that four generations of Helen鈥檚 family gathered together to celebrate the great-grandmother鈥檚 landmark birthday at a Murrayville restaurant on Sunday, Dec. 17.

Next to her cake were framed birthday wishes from King Charles and Governor General Mary Simon.

A family history noted Helen Marion McQuarrie Odin was one of seven children, born in Manitoba on Dec. 19, 1923.

Life was difficult growing up on the Prairies during the Depression, so the family eventually moved to B.C. and lived on Nichol Road in Newton when it was mostly farmland.

After the Second World War, Helen met Joseph Odin, a veteran of the D-Day invasion.

They married and lived in New Westminster and Burnaby, raising Joanne and her brothers, Wayne and Doug.

Helen and Joseph bought and renovated a heritage house on Marine Drive in White Rock, where the couple went on to celebrate their 7oth wedding anniversary before moving to 91原创.

Helen and , were well-known in White Rock.

Joseph is remembered for maintaining and expanding the area up the hill from East Beach near their home, an area some called 鈥淥din鈥檚 point,鈥� and he was nicknamed by a neighbour as the 鈥渦nofficial mayor of Marine Drive.鈥�

Joanne told the 91原创 Advance Times the pattern established by her parents, of having two boys with a girl as the middle child, has been repeated twice.

鈥淚 have the same; only one daughter and two boys on each side, and my daughter has the only one daughter and two boys on each side,鈥� Joanne laughed. 鈥淢ama always thinks that鈥檚 special.鈥�

Her fondest memory of her mom as a child was 鈥渨hen she would organize birthdays for me. and invite all my friends 鈥� a special time.鈥�

Now, it was her turn to do the same for her mother.

鈥淚 lived in France for the last 50 years and I come [to visit] regularly, but organizing this party for mom is very, very special to me,鈥� Joanne said.

Her older brother Wayne called their mother 鈥渁 great person.鈥�

Asked for a favourite memory, Wayne said it was hard picking just one, but for him it was 鈥渉er being there for me when I was in my times of need, and we鈥檝e tried to be there for her in her time.鈥�

Niece Julie McQuarrie, whose dad was Helen鈥檚 brother, said 鈥淎untie Helen and Uncle Joe had a beautiful quaint house on Marine Drive in White Rock. So we鈥檝e got lots of happy memories there.鈥�

She described her 鈥淎untie Helen鈥檚鈥� birthday as a milestone, 鈥渁nd for us it鈥檚 touching because she is the last of that generation.鈥�

Julie noted they are a long-lived family.

鈥淗elen鈥檚 mom lived to be 91, I believe, and Helen had two sisters who lived to be 100 as well, so we鈥檙e hoping the longevity lasts for the rest of us,鈥� Julie smiled.

READ ALSO: Great-granny marks 100th with four parties

READ ALSO: 91原创 woman still throwing parties at 100