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Continued from page 16 til she got caught in the act, and a concerned relative took her stepladders away! Toots has always had an independent spirit, and her outlook towards life is positive. Born in 1923, her parents operated a butcher shop in Brooklin, and in 1937, they opened a general store. When the war broke out, her brother and the shop’s male em- ployee enlisted, so Toots had to quit school in grade 11 to help in the family business. There she was, only 16 years old, driving the truck to Toronto to pick up supplies for the store. “My parents always taught me to help others,” she said. As a young woman, Toots was active in the church and the CGIT. She went to a dance with Junior Farmers in attendance, and that’s when she met “the love of her life” Neil Malcolm. “We did everything together,” Toots anys with a smile. “1 was blessed with a wonderful husban Sadly, Neil passed away in 2010, but ray they had the chance to celebrate their landmark 65th wedding an- niversary together. Together, they operated Malmont Farms, a Holstein operation, cattle export business and auction barn. Toots fondly recalls cooking up large meals for the hungry farm hands and her family. When her babies Gordie, Mary Lou and Jamie came along, “it made our house a home.” Together, Neil and Toots were active in sports. They enjoyed being members of the Lawn Bowling, Curling and Badminton Clubs. Malmont Farms sponsored many winning hockey and baseball teams, including the Cart- wright Squirts, the Port Perry Midgets and the Nestleton “i loved farm life, and it wasn’t all work,” Toots re- calls. “We made time for fun too.” An honorary member of the Ontario Racing Com- mission, Toots says her “true passion” was horse racing, and she loved cheering on her championship horses at Kawartha Downs, Greenwood, Woodbine and Garden Hill. “T liked to bet six dollars,” Toots recalled. “It was fun.” She also “enjoyed having the horses and the little foals around the farm.” Toots has an amazing collection of personal memo- rabilia, ranging from framed photos of her beloved jorses, to newspaper clippings of her receiving volunteer awards, to congratulatory certificates from the provincial, federal and municipal governments, in celebration of special anniversaries and birthdays. One photo depicts a smiling Toots with Justin Trudeau, who is attaching a Liberal pin to her lapel. There’s also a picture of her with his Dad, former Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau. Pics of her with local Mayors throughout the decades. A shot of pretty Toots in Scottish regalia for a jitney. A grinning Toots being chauffeured to her 90th birthday bash in a convertible, with a comical sign about being 90 and topless. When Gordie and his extended family of eight came from B.C. for a 10 day visit in conjunction with her 90th. birthday celebration, “Grandma Toots” whipped up some of his old favourite farm dinners such as stuffed pork tenderloin, cauliflower in cream sauce and shep- herd’s pie. “They ate every bit,” she says, proudly. Toots, who has seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren, calls her family “a blessing.” Her son Jamie and her grandson Brennan live nearby, and they are always available to give her a helping hand. People make sure that she gets a ride to church and shops. “I couldn’t live without them,” Toots says of her fam- ily and friends. “Kindness is what it’s all about,” added the lady who has been so kind to so many others. Keeping busy and having a good outlook are the keys to enjoying a long and fulfilling life, Toots says from experience. “No one wants to hear people complain,” she pointed out. As a young bride, Toots didn’t mind that they had no hydro, or that the privy was at the end of the garage. She didn’t mind that her parents couldn’t decide what to name her when she was a baby, so her Dad started calling her Toots, and it stuck. Pushing 92, Toots is still a ray of sunshine, and, de- spite a couple of health issues, she’s feeling pretty darn good, even though she “has never taken a vitamin pill in her life!” By Lynn Campbell Focus on Scugog 24 FOCUS - MARCH 2015