At 95 years old, Anne Burton still steps up to the lane with quiet confidence — and more often than not, she delivers. On any given Friday during the bowling season in Stonewall, the Balmoral resident can be found doing what she has loves for decades: rolling the ball straight, steady and true in her weekly five-pin bowling league, chasing scores that would impress bowlers a fraction of her age. Breaking 100 is her baseline. On a good day, she’s aiming for 200 — and still getting there.
Anne Burton (centre) with her daughter Karen, to her left, and son Gary, to her right, as part of the regular Friday bowling group, where she continues to impress with her scores and love of the game
“She said if you break 100, you’re doing okay,” a fellow bowler noted with a smile. “But for Anne, 100 isn’t good enough.”
Burton’s bowling story began more than 75 years ago, when she was a young woman working in the general office at Timothy Eaton’s in the early 1950s. Like many workplaces at the time, staff were encouraged to take part in recreational leagues — bowling or curling — and Burton joined the Timothy Eaton General Office team, known as TEGO.
She was just 20 years old and the youngest on the team.
“It was different back then,” Burton recalled of the game’s early rules and traditions. Bowlers wore skirts, and scoring could be unforgiving — if a key pin wasn’t knocked down, it meant a zero.
Burton bowled from 1950 to 1954 before life took her in a different direction. After moving to a farm in Balmoral with her husband, she stepped away from the sport to focus on raising their three children — Karen, Gary and Bruce — and helping manage a busy mixed farm that included hogs, chickens and even a milk cow.
There was little time for bowling during those years, but the passion never fully disappeared.
It wasn’t until 1983, with some encouragement from friends — including Mayfield Williams — that Burton returned to the lanes, joining the Friday League in Stonewall.
More than four decades later, she’s still there.
Each season, from October through April, Burton remains a regular presence, admired not only for her longevity but for her ability to compete.
Her approach is simple — and that’s exactly how she likes it.
No elaborate footwork. No spin or trick release. No reliance on “lucky” equipment.
“I just try and throw it straight,” she said matter-of-factly during a recent game, eyes fixed on the pins.
There’s a quiet discipline to her style. She watches the target, keeps her arm steady and lets the ball do the rest. It’s a method built on consistency rather than flair — and one that continues to produce results.
Her scores speak for themselves.
Even into her mid-90s, Burton has recorded games well into the 200s, including a remarkable 225 at age 94.
Still, she shrugs off the numbers with characteristic humility.
“A lucky ball is only lucky until it’s not,” she said with a chuckle, dismissing the idea that success comes down to anything more than steady play.
Those who bowl alongside her see something more.
They see determination, routine and a lifelong love of the game — qualities that have carried Burton through decades of change, both in bowling and in life.
Away from the lanes, she remains just as active.
Burton enjoys playing Scrabble with her daughter, spending time outdoors, tending to her yard and helping in the garden. Daily chores — from laundry to household upkeep — keep her moving, and she credits that active lifestyle as part of the reason she’s still going strong.
She doesn’t follow a structured fitness program.
She doesn’t need to.
“I get lots of exercise every day,” Burton said.
That independence and energy are part of what makes her story resonate with those around her. Fellow bowlers often find themselves inspired simply by sharing the lanes with her.
At an age when many have long since stepped away from competition, Burton is still showing up, still improving and still enjoying every frame.
And she has no plans to stop.
When asked what’s next, her answer came without hesitation.
“I should be bowling there next year — for sure,” she said.
Then, with a grin, she added one more goal.
“You can come back when I’m 100 and do another interview. I’ll still be here.”
If her track record is any indication, there’s little reason to doubt it.
For Anne Burton, age is just a number — and the game, much like her spirit, keeps rolling on.
