Sirois celebrates 100 years

It’s not every year you get to celebrate 100 years. Yet, that’s the case with the extended family of Noralee Sirois, who turned 100 on Jan. 1.

Sirois is believed to be the first baby born on Jan. 1, 1925, in a Kankakee hospital.

She grew up in St. Anne and now lives at Heritage Woods in Manteno. The family will gather from 1 to 3 p.m. today at the Manteno assisted living facility for a centennial birthday celebration and open house.

“It’s just really phenomenal,” said Noralee’s daughter, Lori Ciaccio, 65, of Aroma Park. “She’s still managing, and she’s having this longevity. … She has a real will to keep moving. It’s almost become a daily routine for her, and she attributes that to she’s just always been health minded.

“And she is a very faith-filled woman with a lot of time in prayer and meditation. She’s strong willed, but a gentle soul.”

Noralee was born the daughter of Wifred and Ruth (Johnson) Vaillancourt, of St. Anne, and she’s a lifelong resident of Kankakee County, having just moved to Heritage Woods two years ago. She married her high school sweetheart, Robert Sirois on Dec. 4, 1943.

Noralee had four children Terry Sirois, 77. of St. Anne, and Lori (Don Ciaccio). A daughter, Pamela, died at the age 7 to a heart ailment, and a son, Dennis, was stillborn. Noralee has five grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

“I love them,” she said. “I have a wonderful family and a daughter that’s unbelievably good.”

Terry’s children are Todd Sirois, who is a Kankakee County Board member, and Heather Sirois Arnold, of Colorado. Lori and Don’s grown children are Emily, Kate and Joel.

“They’re all married now and have children of their own,” said Lori, of her kids.

Noralee is often asked her secret to a long vibrant life, her response, “remaining active both physically and mentally served me well. I think that would probably be it. I was active all the time.”

Robert, who passed away in 2001, and Noralee traveled frequently from their home in St. Anne every chance they got. Among her favorite memories are the summer vacations she took with her husband visiting all regions of the U.S.

“We traveled every summer,” Noralee said.

Lori said her mom and dad always looked forward to those summer vacation trips.

“They got to see a lot of the country,” she said. “She’ll light up when she talks about that.”

The couple also loved dancing and often visited the various dance halls around the area back in the 1940s.

“They were quite good at that,” Lori said. “I mean, they would clear the floor a lot. They were very big dancers, and she does have a granddaughter (Heather) who’s a professional dancer, too.”

Along with raising her children, Noralee worked as a bookkeeper for Beaupre & Sons in St. Anne for 27 years, and Cardinal Bus Line of St. Anne for 16 years. She loves music and dance and was taking adult classes at Paula Aubry School of Dance in Bradley at age 79.

She was a lifelong member of the First Presbyterian Church of St. Anne. Loralee was a longtime trustee and sang in the choir, as the church always was a integral part of their family.

“She’s always very lady-like,” Lori said.

https://daily-journal.com/news/sirois-celebrates-100-years/article_fd8a1ecc-c936-11ef-96c5-3b60bca26713.html