Friends and family will be coming from far and wide today to celebrate the 104th birthday of Elizabeth Ann Osmond.

One of her seven children, Albert Osmond, said the party is sure to be a busy affair as Osmond has family and friends across the country.

In fact, Osmond’s family includes her seven children, 53 grandchildren, 112 great-grandchildren, 55 great-great-grandchildren and even two great-great-great-grandchildren.

According to Albert, her two surviving brothers, Arthur and Nathan, will also be dropping by for the celebration.

Albert, who lives next door, says his mother is looking forward to her big day and can attest to her strong will and spirit. When his father died, leaving Annie to raise her four youngest children alone, she never flinched but took on the task with vigor, which would probably astound the younger generations.

“She worked so hard to raise us all,” Albert said of his mother. “She kept pigs, sheep, ducks, chickens and grew vegetables. ... Whatever it took to keep us fed and clothed. She had about eight or nine sheep and she’d shear them, and spin the wool herself to make us socks and sweaters.”

In spite, or possibly because of the incredible hardships she endured, Annie Osmond has remained remarkably fit. According to Albert, the only medication she takes is a daily dose of Aspirin.

Her family remembers the effort she made to raise her family alone.

“The government used to give her $25 a month to cover everything and she made do on that somehow,” Albert said. “I can still remember her taking an old gallon jar down to the Bowater’s store in Bayside for kerosene.

“She’d come back along the shoreline with grub on her back for us kids and that gallon jar which weighed more than the kerosene in it. Back then there was no road and she had to follow the shoreline. ... She was as tough as nails.”

The community of Beaches has been in the news over the past year for storms which washed away large parts of the town’s only road. But Albert said his mother saw the most devastating storm in the town’s history back in 1936.

“She used to have a house at the end of the town up on a rise,” Albert said. “Well the storm of 1936 caused mudslides which washed the whole works out into the sea.

“She only barely escaped out of the house during that storm and she’s been afraid of mudslides ever since. In the storm last year she wasn’t at all frightened of the sea coming over the road, but any time it rains she worries about the hills coming down.”

He joked that his mother’s memory is probably better than his own and probably remembers many more stories than he does. Albert said his family was eagerly awaiting today’s birthday bash.