Dorothy Lorraine Gouin celebrated her 101st birthday last month at the home of her sister and family, Cliara Slinkard. A gathering of family assembled in honor of Miss Gouin, who has lived an active life.
Miss Dorothy Gouin stands by her childhood crib on her 101st birthday, March 26. Dan Schunks
Born in Philadelphia, Pa., Dorothy moved with her mother to Bonne Terre when she was 15 days old. Her father, who had worked in a city in Canada named Asbestos, had gone ahead and had begun working for St. Joe Lead. Gouin is the oldest of 8 children. She graduated from high school in 1942 and joined the WAACs on April 4, 1944 (4-4-44).
When asked what motivated her to join the WAACs (Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps), she said, “My brother Junior was 18 and joined the service. I was 20 and wanted to prove that anything he did, I could do.” She left the WAACs in December 1948.
She returned to Bonne Terre from her time in the service but had received an opportunity to work on the east coast. “My mother said the job prospects weren’t very good here,” so she left for Massachusetts, where she spent the next 50 years of her life, returning to Bonne Terre in 1997.
Miss Gouin was an active participant in Meals on Wheels, driving until she was 90. For over 20 year,s Dorothy volunteered at the Bonne Terre Senior Nutritional Center, helped deliver a newsletter to residents in St. Joe Manor, and went with the priest to the prison to celebrate Mass. In 2012, at age 88, Dorothy received a Missouri Lieutenant Governor’s Senior Service Award for her tireless community service.
When asked what advice she would give, she said, “The best advice I ever got was from my sister, who told me that whenever you eat anything, make sure you eat proteins and fruit.” Her sister replied, “I guess that’s what you call the balance of nature.” It would be difficult to disagree with that.
