A beloved Hamilton nurse celebrates her 108th birthday
Published July 14, 2023 at 9:40 am
One of Hamilton’s oldest residents turns 108 today (July 14).
Ann Konkel, who has been living in Hamilton for over 71 years now, was born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, in 1915.
According to a recent CBC article, she survived the Spanish flu pandemic as a young child and witnessed the ravages of World War II, including the loss of her father during the Dutch famine.
Konkel’s family told CBC that during the war, Ann met her husband, Edward, who had been a prisoner of war and lived in a concentration camp. Together, they embarked on a new chapter in Hamilton in 1952.
Konkel worked as an operating room nurse at Juravinski Hospital until she retired at 65.
After that, she continued her community work as a volunteer at the non-profit organization Good Shepherd, even at the age of 103.
Videos
Every year, Konkel receives several birthday cards from across the country. Mayor Andrea Horwath also took to social media to wish the 108-year-old Hamiltonian a happy birthday.
insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertisingOne of #HamOnt‘s oldest residents, Ann Konkel, is turning 108 this Friday, July 14th!
Ann speaks 5 languages, volunteered at Good Shepherd until she was 103, and is just 4 years younger than the oldest living Canadian! A truly remarkable woman who has given so much to our city- pic.twitter.com/f0yoFxKLPQ— Andrea Horwath (@AndreaHorwath) July 12, 2023