Alvina W.A. (Hurley) Crowley

CROWLEY, HURLEY, ALLWOOD

Posted By: Errin Wilker (email)
Date: 2/7/2017 at 13:47:03

Mrs. Crowley Celebrates Her Birthday
Mrs. Alvina Crowley of New Albin celebrated her 93rd birthday Saturday, May 16. She enjoyed receiving congratulations, phone calls, gifts and cards from relatives and friends, and also from visitors who came to her home. She enjoys good health and still continues with her housework, receiving a helping hand from her son, John.

Source: newspaper clipping, hand-dated 1987

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94th Birthday Open House
Mrs. Alvina Crowley will celebrate her 94th birthday on Sunday, May 15th with an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. at the New Albin Town House. Her family is hosting the celebration. Everyone is welcome. No further invitations will be sent. No presents please, just your presence.

Source: newspaper clipping, hand-dated 1988

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Alvina Crowley to Celebrate 100th Birthday - New Albin Woman to Be Honored at Open House May 15

She may be just a few days shy of being 100 years old, not quite a young lass anymore, but Alvina Crowley still has a smile on her face and a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

Alvina will celebrate her 100th birthday Monday, May 16, though she doesn't see that as anything special.

Alvina Wilhelmina Anna Hurley (and she thinks there was one more name in there, though "I'm too old to remember all this," she said), was born on a farm outside New Albin. Her parents were Julius and Sophie Hurley.

Though her 100 years of life have been full of challenges, "I've lived a pretty good life," Alvina said. Her mother died when she was eight years old; her dad a few years later. Alvina, being the oldest girl of eight siblings, was left to take care of the home.

Being on the farm, there was always plenty of work to do. They raised most of their own food. To Alvina fell the task of catching and killing the chickens and climbing up the bluffs to get the cows for milking, and gardening.

She did like to "doll up" when she got the chance, going to dances "any old place there was one. I was a pretty good dancer, I though," Alvina said.

Alvina attended rural school through the 8th grade. When she was 18, in 1912, she married Alan Crowley. They had 35 years together before he died in 1947. They were the parents of six children; all but two now deceased. A son, John, still lives in New Albin, and a daughter, Geneva Allwood, lives in Colorado.

Alvina has lived in the New Albina area most of her life, and she has helped into the world many of the area's people. Her midwife work began simply enough when she was working at a home where a baby was born. From then on she got called to a lot of births. She doesn't remember how many, but friends recall many conversations about different New Albin people, and Alvina saying, "I helped them be born." It's a phrase she's said often.

Alvina was able to stay at her home until she was 95 years old. Since then, she has been a resident of Thornton Manor Care Center, Lansing.

Her life isn't as active now. Her hard work is done. Laughingly referred to as the "euchre queen," Alvina finds time for a game of card most days. And every day she takes some private time to say her rosary and pray. She has a deep faith in God.

"Pray a lot, live a good life, be honest," Alvina says. They are words of wisdom that come from a life well lived.

Source: newspaper clipping, hand-dated 1994

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Notes:
Alvina Crowley died July 2, 1997 & is buried in the New Albin city cemetery with her husband Alan.

The photos (below) are of Alvina at age 93 (L) and age 94 (R). They accompanied the birthday news articles in 1987 and 1988.

Click the link to view her obit and a photo of Alvina in 1994 at age 100:

Alvina's obituary & photo of her at age 100
 

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