Ninety-five-year-old Betty Steadward (in purple) receives the purple cane from state Rep. Orland Ramos, which means she is the oldest resident living in Indian Orchard, right now.
Reminder Publishing photos by Ryan Feyre
SPRINGFIELD — State Rep. Orlando Ramos joined residents and the Indian Orchard Citizens Council on Jan. 28 to award 95-year-old resident Betty Steadward with the “Purple Cane,” which honors the oldest resident in Indian Orchard.
Steadward, considered a “leader in the community” by her great granddaughter, Alicia Thomas, becomes the fifth recipient of the cane since 2014, which is when lifelong Indian Orchard resident and longtime Indian Orchard Citizens Council member Pat Voisine first started the tradition.
“She contacted me in 2014; I thought it was a great idea, and I decided to donate the cane,” Ramos said. “It’s fitting that this tradition takes place here, in a community filled with great history and tradition.”
The Indian Orchard tradition is similar to the “Golden Cane” tradition that happens in other towns, but the cane is purple because that is Indian Orchard’s official color.
Thomas told Reminder Publishing in an interview that Steadward is a leader of her family and a staple in the Indian Orchard Covenant Church community, which is where a kitchen is named after her in honor of all the community events and spaghetti and soup dinners she spearheaded.
Many friends from Steadward’s church were present at the celebration, which took place at 117 Main St.
“It says ‘Nana’s Kitchen’ over the church kitchen,” Thomas said. “She literally mentored the people who took over the kitchen after her.”
As someone who comes from a large family, Thomas said she has always cherished her one-on-one time with her great grandmother, especially when they used to take the bus to downtown Springfield to shop, or when they decide to get their nails done together in the present, from time to time.
“We don’t get a lot of time with people independently,” Thomas said. “Any time I get to spend with her is really great.”
City Councilor and Indian Orchard Citizens Council President Zaida Govan was in attendance for the event, along with City Councilor Kateri Walsh, and representatives from state Sen. Adam Gomez’s office and state Rep. Carlos Gonzalez’s office.
“I’m excited to have everybody here to celebrate Ms. Steadward as the oldest resident in Indian Orchard,” Govan said during the celebration.
Steadward becomes the first resident to receive the cane since Stella Soja in 2023, who was 99 years old at the time.
The Indian Orchard Citizens Council has a plaque in their community room which lists the names of all past recipients.
