LEWISTON – Laura St. Pierre turned 100 on Wednesday. She lives alone, just painted her porch last year, knits everyday – scarves, sweaters and caps that go to charity – but was, frankly, a little worn out from two surprise parties over the weekend.

They were pretty big parties.

St. Pierre was honored Saturday at the Franco-American Heritage Center for being the oldest living parishioner of the former St. Mary’s Church. Performers dedicated the evening piano concert to her.

The music was just beautiful, she said. It was loud enough so she could hear; that’s been her only real complaint about getting old.

“I said to the doctor, ‘I’m starting to lose my hearing. I like to hear what people say about me.’ He started to laugh.”

Earlier that same day her family surprised her at a local restaurant. Among the guests: her 11-day-old great-great-granddaughter.

St. Pierre has spent the last 92 years in her Little Canada neighborhood, in the same house. Her mother moved here from New Hampshire when St. Pierre was a little girl.

Her father had died in a railroad accident and her mom found a job in Lewiston as a teacher. Her mother bought a two-floor apartment house. When St. Pierre got married, she moved to the second floor.

She’s stayed since. She raised two children there, a daughter who lives in Texas and a son who lives in New Hampshire. She and her husband, who were married in the church before it officially opened, separated when the kids were young.

St. Pierre’s worn her wedding band her whole life, she says wryly, to keep the men away.

Nephew Normand Paquette takes care of the building where she lives and checks in on St. Pierre regularly.

“She surrounds herself with people who love her, look out for her,” he said.

She calls him “my baby boy.”

A priest visits to give St. Pierre communion, and since she doesn’t get out much, she watches Sunday morning Mass now on TV, in French.

The only thing she could credit for longevity: “For 35 years, I’ve been eating oatmeal in the morning – I didn’t have time to make it when I was working.”

She had jobs in the Continental Mill making cotton as a teenager, then in several local shoe shops for about 40 years as an adult. She had the best time as a bottom cementer.