City man celebrates 102nd birthday

By Justin Seward on September 6, 2022.

Herald Photo by Justin Seward Former Coaldale mayor and beekeeper Alan Graham celebrated his 102nd birthday at The View Lethbridge on Saturday.

Former Coaldale mayor Alan Graham celebrated his 102nd birthday at The View Lethbridge senior residence surrounded by family and fellow residents on Saturday.

Graham said you just keep counting the years in and hope for the best and you don’t know what the next year’s going to bring.

Graham was born on Sept. 3, 1920, and moved from England when he was two-and-half-years old to Coaldale and was the son of a First World War veteran who took up beekeeping services.

Graham eventually took over the beekeeping and worked until he was 85 years old.

“And I just stayed with it,” he said.”

“And so consequently I was able to keep my body going fairly well. I had a few little dabs where I’d end up with a flu or something. But you can’t get away from those things in this world that we live in.”

Beekeeping was the only business that Graham knew and as far as he is concerned, his family had a good life. Graham still has a small foot in beekeeping as he is helping out his 16-year-old great grandson Jack raise bees.

“Concentration is a tricky job,” said Graham.

“But he’s got a couple of hives and working hard at it.”

Graham served multiple terms as mayor through much of the 1950s and 1960s. “To me, it gave me a complete feeling of the community and the people within,” he said.

“They were with me, I never lost an election, and so the people were there behind me.”

A fond memory of his time being mayor was getting the town a fire truck.

“Immense pride and just what he has given us a dad, that as a human being who has seen it all and still can talk about it and still reflect on it and still really keen on politics and what’s going on right now,” said daughter Margot (Graham) Mack.

“He’s quite a marvel. I think we’re delighted that he still so able – you know to be living independently. We’re very proud.”