Great-grandmother celebrates 100th birthday, recalls horse and buggy being her transportation

A grandmother in Oregon has some wonderful recollections that everyone should hear.

Marianne Tormey, who was born in Minnesota, celebrated her 100th birthday with her entire family and friends. She lived in Oregon for the remaining 71 years of her life!


Source: Facebook/Marianne Block

Marianne was raised in a large household with five sisters and four brothers. The family had a pleasant existence on a self-sufficient farm.

Marianna spoke only German before she started school in first grade. Then she had to persuade her parents to let her finish high school.




Among the family members, Marianne was the only person in her family who attended high school.

Getting to her school was difficult when she had to walk more than a mile on school days, and for the last two years of school, she stayed with her sister to make it easier to go to and from school.

In 1940, she graduated in a class of 30 pupils . Her childhood home did not even have indoor plumbing. the family utilized an outhouse on their property even in the bitter Minnesota winters.

On the same farm, they weathered the Great Depression! To liven things up, the family would have danced on the farm, which Tormey’s father referred to as ‘square dances.’

The grand mother even remembers the family riding their horse and buggy to see other family members who lived nearby. She clearly remembers her first automobile, a Model T with canvas curtains instead of windows!

The automobile also lacked a gas pedal on the floor, instead opting for a lever adjacent to the steering wheel.

She relocated to Oregon in 1951. She has four daughters after marrying. She worked as an independent house cleaner for long-term clientele. She also helped out with the local Meals on Wheels program.

Even though Marianna Tormey is 100 years old, her family claims that her memory is still razor sharp!




She still enjoys a variety of activities such as gardening, reading, crossword puzzles, and card games. Tormey is now a great-grandmother, and likes spending time with her grandkids and great-grandchildren.

Congratulate Marianne Tormey on a very happy 100th birthday! She has certainly lived a remarkable life and witnessed so many changes in the country!