Barbara Raines, left, poses for a photo with Amy VanLeuven, right, a personal care aide at Wildflower Lodge in La Grande, on Nov. 20, 2024. Friends, family and loved ones gathered to celebrate Raines' 100th birthday at Wildflower Lodge.

LA GRANDE — It’s not every day someone becomes a centenarian, but Barbara Raines still told her family that she didn’t see why there was so much fuss over the fact that she was turning 100.

The secret to a long life? For Raines the answer is simple: working hard and keeping busy. Her family spoke of Raines’ many hobbies during her birthday bash on Wednesday, Nov. 20. She enjoyed playing cards and dominos with her friends in Wallowa and had a passion for music, gardening and painting.

“I’ve always worked really hard,” Raines said.

While she might not have understood the fuss, she certainly still enjoyed the party at Wildflower Lodge in La Grande with family, friends and loved ones. Everyone gathered to sing “Happy Birthday” amidst a myriad of pink decor.

A large pink birthday banner hung on the wall overhead as Raines, decked out in a pretty pink tiara and sash, blew out the metallic pink candles on her white-and-pink frosted chocolate cake.

Raines has seen the world change a lot in her lifetime. Her one wish for the world for the next 100 years?

“Good luck and good harmony,” she said.

Raines was born on Bridge Island in Canyon County, Idaho to Wayman and Millie Larkin. Her niece Kathy Willett said the family had been unsure whether to go to Oregon or Idaho to get her birth certificate, but eventually settled on getting it in Nyssa. Raines had two older sisters, Evelyn and Lena, a younger sister, Bethel, and a younger brother Jack.

Later the family moved to Wallowa County. Raines grew up in Minam, where she eventually met and married her husband, Paul Raines. The couple had two sons: John, who lives in Wallowa; and Ken, who lives in Lewiston, Idaho.

John said the family moved around the county a few times to follow the logging industry before eventually settling in Wallowa in 1954 so that he could go to school.

After her husband died in September 1987, Raines continued to live in her home in Wallowa until she moved into Wildflower Lodge in La Grande a little over a year ago.

As a longtime Wallowa County resident, Raines has witnessed unique local history, according to her son, including seeing one of the first trainloads of elk coming to the county from Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

“She’s seen a lot of history,” John said.

At her birthday celebration, Raines’ family also shared some of their favorite memories with the birthday girl. John spoke fondly about camping, hunting and fishing as a family.

“She’s a damn good elk hunter, damn good shot,” he said.

Willett and her sister Susie Madigan jumped in — sharing how the family used to pile 10 people into a Willys Jeep when they went out hunting. When they spotted an elk the driver would throw the car in neutral and a whole bunch of people would clamber out to go hunt while the Jeep slowly rolled along with the rest of the family on board.

This wasn’t the only vehicle-related story shared at the birthday celebration. Willett said that her mother, Bethel, and Raines used to take motor home trips together. They were “just two old women driving around.”

She added that the pair measured the success of their driving by the number of truck drivers they managed to annoy.

Madigan also recalled fun times picking huckleberries with her aunt and uncle.

Family has always been important to Raines, so large family gatherings at the holidays were another source of fond memories for everyone at the birthday party.