FERGUS – Longtime Fergus Camera Club member Marjorie (Marj) Dow celebrated her 100th birthday on March 8 – and the club threw her a surprise at its meeting three days later.
Marj joined the club in 1944 when it first became an entity. Her love of photography started when her father got her a Kodak Brownie camera at the age of 10.
“She’s been doing photography for 90 years,” said her daughter Sharon Roadhouse.
Marj was treasurer of the Fergus Camera Club from the early 1960s until retiring from the position three years ago at 97 years old.
Photo by Nicole Beswitherick
Volunteer activities
She is also a long-standing volunteer with the Wellington County Museum and Archives, and “the museum has done a display of her pictures in the past,” Roadhouse said.
Marj’s daughter-in-law Carol Dow told the Advertiser Marj is also interested in genealogy at the county museum.
“They have files for each family in the cabinets, and she’s quite dedicated to keeping up the filing for this… with the genealogy and family history.”
Roadhouse said Marj was at the museum filing in late January and as recently as two weeks ago.
“Little did she know, they had a surprise tea for her [birthday],” said Roadhouse.
“She has been surprised at many family and community functions,” said Carol.
Roadhouse added Marj’s favourite types of photos to capture are of gardens, nature and the environment.
“We all read Our Canada, the magazine,” said Carol.
“She was actually invited to provide a picture for the first edition of Our Canada.”
A club surprise
At the beginning of the March 11 meeting at St. James Anglican Church in Fergus, Dow walked in to what she thought was a regular camera club meeting.
One member of the club asked Dow if they could get a group photo with her, to which she responded, “I guess I’ll let ya.”
Her and the club members chuckled.
Photo by Nicole Beswitherick
After getting a group shot, a few of the club members went over to get a chocolate birthday cake from the church kitchen and others distracted her with a camera from 1930.
Soon after, the whole room sang Happy Birthday to Dow and presented her with the cake. Then more photos were taken – because of course, it is a camera club.
