Family gathers for 100th birthday

On Sunday family and friends gathered at the Rendez Vous Centre for the 100 Birthday Celebration in honour of Oscar Joseph Hittinger.

Some travelled from as far as North Vancouver, Vancouver Island to Regina SK. to be present.

Among the attendees was Hittinger’s 101-year-old sister Justine Hergott from Youville, where he also resides.

His daughter Carol Kaup was the emcee for the event. She said they are a musical family and her son Rob and his wife Danielle of the Two Bad Apples entertained the crowd with some of her Dad’s favourite songs as he was a musician and had his own band in later years.

His Great Granddaughter Natalie LaBuick sang You Are My Sunshine.

Eddie Bulger sang a few numbers including the Aberta 100 song titled, Our Community, Our Heritage, Our Pride which he dedicated to Oscar Hittinger.

Speakers included the four children of Oscar Hittinger, Mary Lou Kastelic, Lorne and Wayne Hittinger and Carol Kaup.

Ron Cust spoke of his Godfather Oscar Hittinger, how they share the Oscar name, the naming Committee, a district in Morinville named after the Hittinger family and the contributions the family has made to Morinville.

Certificates and Congratulatory messages from the Pope, the Queen, Governor General of Canada, Prime Minister of Canada, and Premier of Alberta were on display.

Oscar is the grandson of the original Hittinger who had a homestead in Morinville in 1891.

In 1891 Peter Hittinger moved from North Dakota with his parents Mr. and Mrs. Michael Hittinger. He homesteaded here and in 1904 married Katharine Steffes.They had five sons, Mathias, Michael, Oscar, Anthony and Vernon and three daughters.

Oscar married Katherine Cust, daughter of James and Daisy Cust in June 1946.

The legacy includes 13 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren.

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