Marie is 105 - guess what she got up to for her birthday?
She told me she was looking forward to her 105th birthday and was already making plans for the big event.
Well, this week that event arrived, and she was still the life of the party and still enjoying a beer.
Mrs Nixon's daughter Janette Van Haren, said her mother was doing remarkably well.
"She's terrific - she looks a million dollars and I reckon she'll outlive her kids who are all in their 80s now," Janette said.
Apart from a few mobility issues, Mrs Nixon is in good health and takes one blood pressure tablet a day.
Originally from Lorn and now living in Queensland, Janette said Mrs Nixon and her son Brian, who Mrs Nixon had been caring for, made the move to the Sunshine State late last year.
After a short stint living with Janette, Mrs Nixon moved into an aged care village at Carseldine near Brisbane and Brian, 72, to independent living also close by.
"They're just five minutes from me," Janette said.
While the family celebrated Mrs Nixon's birthday on July 8, a larger event is planned for Saturday, July 12 with friends and family travelling from Maitland to wish her many happy returns.
Mrs Nixon is relishing the social aspect of her new living arrangements and enjoys going to housie, 10-pin bowling and Mass.
"She's not a Catholic but she goes to Mass every day," Janette said.
"She still has that wicked sense of humour and loves the fact that she is the oldest person in the nursing home - she's now received congratulatory letters from Queen Elizabeth and King Charles.
Mrs Nixon raised her seven siblings from age 13 and nursed her husband through dementia.
She has seen war, floods and famine.
Born and bred in Ballina on July 8, 1920, Mrs Nixon moved to Maitland with her husband Robert in 1949 when he took up a job with the council as an electrical linesman.
The couple came with their three young children. Two other siblings were born after the family settled in Lorn.
No stranger to tough times, Mrs Nixon, the eldest daughter of eight children, lost her mother when she was just 13 and was left to raise her brothers and sisters.
She soldiered on with a young family when her husband went to Palestine during World War II.
In 1971, her life took another tragic turn when her son Brian, then 18, suffered severe head injuries in a motorcycle accident. She has been his full-time carer since.
But it doesn't end there for this stoic woman.
Her husband was diagnosed with dementia, and she nursed him through his illness until he passed in 1999. Five years ago, she lost her son Allan to cancer.
Life for Mrs Nixon had its highs and lows but in her words: 'the best thing to do is to be accepting, try not to worry and make the best of what you have.'
Mrs Nixon has five children, 11 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and more than 20 great-great-grandchildren.
One of the biggest joys in her life was driving taxis in Maitland for 19 years.
During an interview with The Mercury when she turned 100, Mrs Nixon said she made many friends on the job, counselled many passengers and saw and heard a lot of things she can't repeat.
"I certainly heard some stories and I couldn't get over how people thought the taxi driver could help solve their problems," she said. "I'd just try and say something that would make them happier. It was a great occupation - I really loved it," Mrs Nixon said.
Sadly she had to resign from her driving job when Mr Nixon fell ill.
"I feel very humbled and have to thank everyone for all they have done.
"I've been lucky to have good health and I look forward to keep going and be sensible and live a good life," Mrs Nixon said.
Last time I spoke to Marie Nixon she was having a beer, celebrating her 100th birthday and was the life of the party.
She told me she was looking forward to her 105th birthday and was already making plans for the big event.
Well, this week that event arrived, and she was still the life of the party and still enjoying a beer.
Mrs Nixon's daughter Janette Van Haren, said her mother was doing remarkably well.
"She's terrific - she looks a million dollars and I reckon she'll outlive her kids who are all in their 80s now," Janette said.
Apart from a few mobility issues, Mrs Nixon is in good health and takes one blood pressure tablet a day.
Originally from Lorn and now living in Queensland, Janette said Mrs Nixon and her son Brian, who Mrs Nixon had been caring for, made the move to the Sunshine State late last year.
After a short stint living with Janette, Mrs Nixon moved into an aged care village at Carseldine near Brisbane and Brian, 72, to independent living also close by.
"They're just five minutes from me," Janette said.
While the family celebrated Mrs Nixon's birthday on July 8, a larger event is planned for Saturday, July 12 with friends and family travelling from Maitland to wish her many happy returns.
Mrs Nixon is relishing the social aspect of her new living arrangements and enjoys going to housie, 10-pin bowling and Mass.
"She's not a Catholic but she goes to Mass every day," Janette said.
"She still has that wicked sense of humour and loves the fact that she is the oldest person in the nursing home - she's now received congratulatory letters from Queen Elizabeth and King Charles.
Mrs Nixon raised her seven siblings from age 13 and nursed her husband through dementia.
She has seen war, floods and famine.
Born and bred in Ballina on July 8, 1920, Mrs Nixon moved to Maitland with her husband Robert in 1949 when he took up a job with the council as an electrical linesman.
The couple came with their three young children. Two other siblings were born after the family settled in Lorn.
No stranger to tough times, Mrs Nixon, the eldest daughter of eight children, lost her mother when she was just 13 and was left to raise her brothers and sisters.
She soldiered on with a young family when her husband went to Palestine during World War II.
In 1971, her life took another tragic turn when her son Brian, then 18, suffered severe head injuries in a motorcycle accident. She has been his full-time carer since.
But it doesn't end there for this stoic woman.
Her husband was diagnosed with dementia, and she nursed him through his illness until he passed in 1999. Five years ago, she lost her son Allan to cancer.
Life for Mrs Nixon had its highs and lows but in her words: 'the best thing to do is to be accepting, try not to worry and make the best of what you have.'
Mrs Nixon has five children, 11 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and more than 20 great-great-grandchildren.
One of the biggest joys in her life was driving taxis in Maitland for 19 years.
During an interview with The Mercury when she turned 100, Mrs Nixon said she made many friends on the job, counselled many passengers and saw and heard a lot of things she can't repeat.
"I certainly heard some stories and I couldn't get over how people thought the taxi driver could help solve their problems," she said. "I'd just try and say something that would make them happier. It was a great occupation - I really loved it," Mrs Nixon said.
Sadly she had to resign from her driving job when Mr Nixon fell ill.
"I feel very humbled and have to thank everyone for all they have done.
"I've been lucky to have good health and I look forward to keep going and be sensible and live a good life," Mrs Nixon said.
Last time I spoke to Marie Nixon she was having a beer, celebrating her 100th birthday and was the life of the party.
She told me she was looking forward to her 105th birthday and was already making plans for the big event.
Well, this week that event arrived, and she was still the life of the party and still enjoying a beer.
Mrs Nixon's daughter Janette Van Haren, said her mother was doing remarkably well.
"She's terrific - she looks a million dollars and I reckon she'll outlive her kids who are all in their 80s now," Janette said.
Apart from a few mobility issues, Mrs Nixon is in good health and takes one blood pressure tablet a day.
Originally from Lorn and now living in Queensland, Janette said Mrs Nixon and her son Brian, who Mrs Nixon had been caring for, made the move to the Sunshine State late last year.
After a short stint living with Janette, Mrs Nixon moved into an aged care village at Carseldine near Brisbane and Brian, 72, to independent living also close by.
"They're just five minutes from me," Janette said.
While the family celebrated Mrs Nixon's birthday on July 8, a larger event is planned for Saturday, July 12 with friends and family travelling from Maitland to wish her many happy returns.
Mrs Nixon is relishing the social aspect of her new living arrangements and enjoys going to housie, 10-pin bowling and Mass.
"She's not a Catholic but she goes to Mass every day," Janette said.
"She still has that wicked sense of humour and loves the fact that she is the oldest person in the nursing home - she's now received congratulatory letters from Queen Elizabeth and King Charles.
Mrs Nixon raised her seven siblings from age 13 and nursed her husband through dementia.
She has seen war, floods and famine.
Born and bred in Ballina on July 8, 1920, Mrs Nixon moved to Maitland with her husband Robert in 1949 when he took up a job with the council as an electrical linesman.
The couple came with their three young children. Two other siblings were born after the family settled in Lorn.
No stranger to tough times, Mrs Nixon, the eldest daughter of eight children, lost her mother when she was just 13 and was left to raise her brothers and sisters.
She soldiered on with a young family when her husband went to Palestine during World War II.
In 1971, her life took another tragic turn when her son Brian, then 18, suffered severe head injuries in a motorcycle accident. She has been his full-time carer since.
But it doesn't end there for this stoic woman.
Her husband was diagnosed with dementia, and she nursed him through his illness until he passed in 1999. Five years ago, she lost her son Allan to cancer.
Life for Mrs Nixon had its highs and lows but in her words: 'the best thing to do is to be accepting, try not to worry and make the best of what you have.'
Mrs Nixon has five children, 11 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and more than 20 great-great-grandchildren.
One of the biggest joys in her life was driving taxis in Maitland for 19 years.
During an interview with The Mercury when she turned 100, Mrs Nixon said she made many friends on the job, counselled many passengers and saw and heard a lot of things she can't repeat.
"I certainly heard some stories and I couldn't get over how people thought the taxi driver could help solve their problems," she said. "I'd just try and say something that would make them happier. It was a great occupation - I really loved it," Mrs Nixon said.
Sadly she had to resign from her driving job when Mr Nixon fell ill.
"I feel very humbled and have to thank everyone for all they have done.
"I've been lucky to have good health and I look forward to keep going and be sensible and live a good life," Mrs Nixon said.
Last time I spoke to Marie Nixon she was having a beer, celebrating her 100th birthday and was the life of the party.
She told me she was looking forward to her 105th birthday and was already making plans for the big event.
Well, this week that event arrived, and she was still the life of the party and still enjoying a beer.
Mrs Nixon's daughter Janette Van Haren, said her mother was doing remarkably well.
"She's terrific - she looks a million dollars and I reckon she'll outlive her kids who are all in their 80s now," Janette said.
Apart from a few mobility issues, Mrs Nixon is in good health and takes one blood pressure tablet a day.
Originally from Lorn and now living in Queensland, Janette said Mrs Nixon and her son Brian, who Mrs Nixon had been caring for, made the move to the Sunshine State late last year.
After a short stint living with Janette, Mrs Nixon moved into an aged care village at Carseldine near Brisbane and Brian, 72, to independent living also close by.
"They're just five minutes from me," Janette said.
While the family celebrated Mrs Nixon's birthday on July 8, a larger event is planned for Saturday, July 12 with friends and family travelling from Maitland to wish her many happy returns.
Mrs Nixon is relishing the social aspect of her new living arrangements and enjoys going to housie, 10-pin bowling and Mass.
"She's not a Catholic but she goes to Mass every day," Janette said.
"She still has that wicked sense of humour and loves the fact that she is the oldest person in the nursing home - she's now received congratulatory letters from Queen Elizabeth and King Charles.
Mrs Nixon raised her seven siblings from age 13 and nursed her husband through dementia.
She has seen war, floods and famine.
Born and bred in Ballina on July 8, 1920, Mrs Nixon moved to Maitland with her husband Robert in 1949 when he took up a job with the council as an electrical linesman.
The couple came with their three young children. Two other siblings were born after the family settled in Lorn.
No stranger to tough times, Mrs Nixon, the eldest daughter of eight children, lost her mother when she was just 13 and was left to raise her brothers and sisters.
She soldiered on with a young family when her husband went to Palestine during World War II.
In 1971, her life took another tragic turn when her son Brian, then 18, suffered severe head injuries in a motorcycle accident. She has been his full-time carer since.
But it doesn't end there for this stoic woman.
Her husband was diagnosed with dementia, and she nursed him through his illness until he passed in 1999. Five years ago, she lost her son Allan to cancer.
Life for Mrs Nixon had its highs and lows but in her words: 'the best thing to do is to be accepting, try not to worry and make the best of what you have.'
Mrs Nixon has five children, 11 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and more than 20 great-great-grandchildren.
One of the biggest joys in her life was driving taxis in Maitland for 19 years.
During an interview with The Mercury when she turned 100, Mrs Nixon said she made many friends on the job, counselled many passengers and saw and heard a lot of things she can't repeat.
"I certainly heard some stories and I couldn't get over how people thought the taxi driver could help solve their problems," she said. "I'd just try and say something that would make them happier. It was a great occupation - I really loved it," Mrs Nixon said.
Sadly she had to resign from her driving job when Mr Nixon fell ill.
"I feel very humbled and have to thank everyone for all they have done.
"I've been lucky to have good health and I look forward to keep going and be sensible and live a good life," Mrs Nixon said.
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The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
Living to 107: salt, a little scotch and doing your own thing
Clara (Win) Follett is turning 107 years old. Her secret? Salt and a little bit of scotch. "Good food is the main thing; we didn't have sweets and ice cream and all this muck," she said. "Work hard, use your brains, don't do what other people do, do your own thing." Sitting with her daughter, Sandy Owens, at Mayfield Aged Care, Mrs Follett reminisced about her childhood on a sheep farm in Merrriwa. Born on August 18th 1918, as Clara Winsome Collins, most called her Win from a very young age. The youngest of eight, with five brothers and two sisters, Mrs Follett spent her early years riding horses and hunting rabbits. "I didn't play with dolls, I played with hammers and saws and things my brothers played with," she said. "When I was 18, I used to roll my father's cigarettes, back when they had real tobacco." The 106-year-old hasn't smoked since the 1960s, but she busted out the cigarette rolling skills a few years ago, and turns out, she still has it. "She hasn't lost her touch," her daughter said. At the age of 10, Mrs Follett started school in Muswellbrook, but she skipped a few grades. "I knew more than the other kids, all my brothers and sisters had taught me," she said. After World War II, she married her husband, Albert Kinglesy Follett, in Muswellbrook. Thirteen years her senior, Mr Follett had grown up in Scone on a dairy farm. The couple settled on a dairy farm at Meadows in the Adelaide Hills district with their two children, Daryl and Sandy. After a few years, they travelled in a small caravan pulled by their trusty Holden from Shepparton in Victoria to Brisbane. Eventually, they bought a block of flats in Port Macquarie, in an area surrounded by vegetable gardens and rural properties. Once the children moved out, the couple jetted off overseas in the 1970s, visiting Italy, Greece, Portugal and the south of France before they settled in their last home together in Nelson Bay. "She lived in her Nelson Bay house until she was 102," Mrs Owens said. "She was mowing the lawn until she was 97 and still driving." The almost-107-year-old has four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren. Clara (Win) Follett is turning 107 years old. Her secret? Salt and a little bit of scotch. "Good food is the main thing; we didn't have sweets and ice cream and all this muck," she said. "Work hard, use your brains, don't do what other people do, do your own thing." Sitting with her daughter, Sandy Owens, at Mayfield Aged Care, Mrs Follett reminisced about her childhood on a sheep farm in Merrriwa. Born on August 18th 1918, as Clara Winsome Collins, most called her Win from a very young age. The youngest of eight, with five brothers and two sisters, Mrs Follett spent her early years riding horses and hunting rabbits. "I didn't play with dolls, I played with hammers and saws and things my brothers played with," she said. "When I was 18, I used to roll my father's cigarettes, back when they had real tobacco." The 106-year-old hasn't smoked since the 1960s, but she busted out the cigarette rolling skills a few years ago, and turns out, she still has it. "She hasn't lost her touch," her daughter said. At the age of 10, Mrs Follett started school in Muswellbrook, but she skipped a few grades. "I knew more than the other kids, all my brothers and sisters had taught me," she said. After World War II, she married her husband, Albert Kinglesy Follett, in Muswellbrook. Thirteen years her senior, Mr Follett had grown up in Scone on a dairy farm. The couple settled on a dairy farm at Meadows in the Adelaide Hills district with their two children, Daryl and Sandy. After a few years, they travelled in a small caravan pulled by their trusty Holden from Shepparton in Victoria to Brisbane. Eventually, they bought a block of flats in Port Macquarie, in an area surrounded by vegetable gardens and rural properties. Once the children moved out, the couple jetted off overseas in the 1970s, visiting Italy, Greece, Portugal and the south of France before they settled in their last home together in Nelson Bay. "She lived in her Nelson Bay house until she was 102," Mrs Owens said. "She was mowing the lawn until she was 97 and still driving." The almost-107-year-old has four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren. Clara (Win) Follett is turning 107 years old. Her secret? Salt and a little bit of scotch. "Good food is the main thing; we didn't have sweets and ice cream and all this muck," she said. "Work hard, use your brains, don't do what other people do, do your own thing." Sitting with her daughter, Sandy Owens, at Mayfield Aged Care, Mrs Follett reminisced about her childhood on a sheep farm in Merrriwa. Born on August 18th 1918, as Clara Winsome Collins, most called her Win from a very young age. The youngest of eight, with five brothers and two sisters, Mrs Follett spent her early years riding horses and hunting rabbits. "I didn't play with dolls, I played with hammers and saws and things my brothers played with," she said. "When I was 18, I used to roll my father's cigarettes, back when they had real tobacco." The 106-year-old hasn't smoked since the 1960s, but she busted out the cigarette rolling skills a few years ago, and turns out, she still has it. "She hasn't lost her touch," her daughter said. At the age of 10, Mrs Follett started school in Muswellbrook, but she skipped a few grades. "I knew more than the other kids, all my brothers and sisters had taught me," she said. After World War II, she married her husband, Albert Kinglesy Follett, in Muswellbrook. Thirteen years her senior, Mr Follett had grown up in Scone on a dairy farm. The couple settled on a dairy farm at Meadows in the Adelaide Hills district with their two children, Daryl and Sandy. After a few years, they travelled in a small caravan pulled by their trusty Holden from Shepparton in Victoria to Brisbane. Eventually, they bought a block of flats in Port Macquarie, in an area surrounded by vegetable gardens and rural properties. Once the children moved out, the couple jetted off overseas in the 1970s, visiting Italy, Greece, Portugal and the south of France before they settled in their last home together in Nelson Bay. "She lived in her Nelson Bay house until she was 102," Mrs Owens said. "She was mowing the lawn until she was 97 and still driving." The almost-107-year-old has four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren. Clara (Win) Follett is turning 107 years old. Her secret? Salt and a little bit of scotch. "Good food is the main thing; we didn't have sweets and ice cream and all this muck," she said. "Work hard, use your brains, don't do what other people do, do your own thing." Sitting with her daughter, Sandy Owens, at Mayfield Aged Care, Mrs Follett reminisced about her childhood on a sheep farm in Merrriwa. Born on August 18th 1918, as Clara Winsome Collins, most called her Win from a very young age. The youngest of eight, with five brothers and two sisters, Mrs Follett spent her early years riding horses and hunting rabbits. "I didn't play with dolls, I played with hammers and saws and things my brothers played with," she said. "When I was 18, I used to roll my father's cigarettes, back when they had real tobacco." The 106-year-old hasn't smoked since the 1960s, but she busted out the cigarette rolling skills a few years ago, and turns out, she still has it. "She hasn't lost her touch," her daughter said. At the age of 10, Mrs Follett started school in Muswellbrook, but she skipped a few grades. "I knew more than the other kids, all my brothers and sisters had taught me," she said. After World War II, she married her husband, Albert Kinglesy Follett, in Muswellbrook. Thirteen years her senior, Mr Follett had grown up in Scone on a dairy farm. The couple settled on a dairy farm at Meadows in the Adelaide Hills district with their two children, Daryl and Sandy. After a few years, they travelled in a small caravan pulled by their trusty Holden from Shepparton in Victoria to Brisbane. Eventually, they bought a block of flats in Port Macquarie, in an area surrounded by vegetable gardens and rural properties. Once the children moved out, the couple jetted off overseas in the 1970s, visiting Italy, Greece, Portugal and the south of France before they settled in their last home together in Nelson Bay. "She lived in her Nelson Bay house until she was 102," Mrs Owens said. "She was mowing the lawn until she was 97 and still driving." The almost-107-year-old has four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.
The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
Salt, a little scotch and doing your own thing: Win's guide to living to 107
Clara (Win) Follett is turning 107 years old. Her secret? Salt and a little bit of scotch. "Good food is the main thing; we didn't have sweets and ice cream and all this muck," she said. "Work hard, use your brains, don't do what other people do, do your own thing." Sitting with her daughter, Sandy Owens, at Mayfield Aged Care, Mrs Follett reminisced about her childhood on a sheep property in Merrriwa. Born on August 18th 1918, as Clara Winsome Collins, most called her Win from a very young age. The youngest of eight, with five brothers and two sisters, Mrs Follett spent her early years riding horses and hunting rabbits. "I didn't play with dolls, I played with hammers and saws and things my brothers played with," she said. "When I was 18, I used to roll my father's cigarettes, back when they had real tobacco." The 106-year-old hasn't smoked since the 1960s, but she busted out the cigarette rolling skills a few years ago, and turns out, she still has it. "She hasn't lost her touch," her daughter said. At the age of 10, Mrs Follett started school in Muswellbrook, but she skipped a few grades. "I knew more than the other kids, all my brothers and sisters had taught me," she said. After World War II, she married her husband, Albert Kinglesy Follett, in Muswellbrook. Thirteen years her senior, Mr Follett had grown up in Scone on a dairy farm. The couple settled on a dairy farm at Meadows in the Adelaide Hills district with their two children, Daryl and Sandy. After a few years, they travelled in a small caravan pulled by their trusty Holden car from Shepparton in Victoria up to Brisbane in Queensland. Eventually, they bought a block of flats in Port Macquarie, in an area surrounded by vegetable gardens and rural properties. "She was always outside, always doing the tiling floors, building things, and she was always handy," Mrs Owens said. "She was a good golfer too," she said. Once the children moved out, the couple jetted off overseas in the 1970s, visiting European cities such as Italy, Greece, Portugal and the south of France. They eventually settled in their last home together on Galoola Drive, Nelson Bay. "She lived in her Nelson Bay house until she was 102," Mrs Owens said. "She was mowing the lawn until she was 97 and still driving," she said. The almost-107-year-old has four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren. "She is turning 107, and still mentally doing good, so it's pretty great," Mrs Owens said. For the big day, Mrs Owens' brother will come to spend a lunch with herself and their mother. Clara (Win) Follett is turning 107 years old. Her secret? Salt and a little bit of scotch. "Good food is the main thing; we didn't have sweets and ice cream and all this muck," she said. "Work hard, use your brains, don't do what other people do, do your own thing." Sitting with her daughter, Sandy Owens, at Mayfield Aged Care, Mrs Follett reminisced about her childhood on a sheep property in Merrriwa. Born on August 18th 1918, as Clara Winsome Collins, most called her Win from a very young age. The youngest of eight, with five brothers and two sisters, Mrs Follett spent her early years riding horses and hunting rabbits. "I didn't play with dolls, I played with hammers and saws and things my brothers played with," she said. "When I was 18, I used to roll my father's cigarettes, back when they had real tobacco." The 106-year-old hasn't smoked since the 1960s, but she busted out the cigarette rolling skills a few years ago, and turns out, she still has it. "She hasn't lost her touch," her daughter said. At the age of 10, Mrs Follett started school in Muswellbrook, but she skipped a few grades. "I knew more than the other kids, all my brothers and sisters had taught me," she said. After World War II, she married her husband, Albert Kinglesy Follett, in Muswellbrook. Thirteen years her senior, Mr Follett had grown up in Scone on a dairy farm. The couple settled on a dairy farm at Meadows in the Adelaide Hills district with their two children, Daryl and Sandy. After a few years, they travelled in a small caravan pulled by their trusty Holden car from Shepparton in Victoria up to Brisbane in Queensland. Eventually, they bought a block of flats in Port Macquarie, in an area surrounded by vegetable gardens and rural properties. "She was always outside, always doing the tiling floors, building things, and she was always handy," Mrs Owens said. "She was a good golfer too," she said. Once the children moved out, the couple jetted off overseas in the 1970s, visiting European cities such as Italy, Greece, Portugal and the south of France. They eventually settled in their last home together on Galoola Drive, Nelson Bay. "She lived in her Nelson Bay house until she was 102," Mrs Owens said. "She was mowing the lawn until she was 97 and still driving," she said. The almost-107-year-old has four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren. "She is turning 107, and still mentally doing good, so it's pretty great," Mrs Owens said. For the big day, Mrs Owens' brother will come to spend a lunch with herself and their mother. Clara (Win) Follett is turning 107 years old. Her secret? Salt and a little bit of scotch. "Good food is the main thing; we didn't have sweets and ice cream and all this muck," she said. "Work hard, use your brains, don't do what other people do, do your own thing." Sitting with her daughter, Sandy Owens, at Mayfield Aged Care, Mrs Follett reminisced about her childhood on a sheep property in Merrriwa. Born on August 18th 1918, as Clara Winsome Collins, most called her Win from a very young age. The youngest of eight, with five brothers and two sisters, Mrs Follett spent her early years riding horses and hunting rabbits. "I didn't play with dolls, I played with hammers and saws and things my brothers played with," she said. "When I was 18, I used to roll my father's cigarettes, back when they had real tobacco." The 106-year-old hasn't smoked since the 1960s, but she busted out the cigarette rolling skills a few years ago, and turns out, she still has it. "She hasn't lost her touch," her daughter said. At the age of 10, Mrs Follett started school in Muswellbrook, but she skipped a few grades. "I knew more than the other kids, all my brothers and sisters had taught me," she said. After World War II, she married her husband, Albert Kinglesy Follett, in Muswellbrook. Thirteen years her senior, Mr Follett had grown up in Scone on a dairy farm. The couple settled on a dairy farm at Meadows in the Adelaide Hills district with their two children, Daryl and Sandy. After a few years, they travelled in a small caravan pulled by their trusty Holden car from Shepparton in Victoria up to Brisbane in Queensland. Eventually, they bought a block of flats in Port Macquarie, in an area surrounded by vegetable gardens and rural properties. "She was always outside, always doing the tiling floors, building things, and she was always handy," Mrs Owens said. "She was a good golfer too," she said. Once the children moved out, the couple jetted off overseas in the 1970s, visiting European cities such as Italy, Greece, Portugal and the south of France. They eventually settled in their last home together on Galoola Drive, Nelson Bay. "She lived in her Nelson Bay house until she was 102," Mrs Owens said. "She was mowing the lawn until she was 97 and still driving," she said. The almost-107-year-old has four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren. "She is turning 107, and still mentally doing good, so it's pretty great," Mrs Owens said. For the big day, Mrs Owens' brother will come to spend a lunch with herself and their mother. Clara (Win) Follett is turning 107 years old. Her secret? Salt and a little bit of scotch. "Good food is the main thing; we didn't have sweets and ice cream and all this muck," she said. "Work hard, use your brains, don't do what other people do, do your own thing." Sitting with her daughter, Sandy Owens, at Mayfield Aged Care, Mrs Follett reminisced about her childhood on a sheep property in Merrriwa. Born on August 18th 1918, as Clara Winsome Collins, most called her Win from a very young age. The youngest of eight, with five brothers and two sisters, Mrs Follett spent her early years riding horses and hunting rabbits. "I didn't play with dolls, I played with hammers and saws and things my brothers played with," she said. "When I was 18, I used to roll my father's cigarettes, back when they had real tobacco." The 106-year-old hasn't smoked since the 1960s, but she busted out the cigarette rolling skills a few years ago, and turns out, she still has it. "She hasn't lost her touch," her daughter said. At the age of 10, Mrs Follett started school in Muswellbrook, but she skipped a few grades. "I knew more than the other kids, all my brothers and sisters had taught me," she said. After World War II, she married her husband, Albert Kinglesy Follett, in Muswellbrook. Thirteen years her senior, Mr Follett had grown up in Scone on a dairy farm. The couple settled on a dairy farm at Meadows in the Adelaide Hills district with their two children, Daryl and Sandy. After a few years, they travelled in a small caravan pulled by their trusty Holden car from Shepparton in Victoria up to Brisbane in Queensland. Eventually, they bought a block of flats in Port Macquarie, in an area surrounded by vegetable gardens and rural properties. "She was always outside, always doing the tiling floors, building things, and she was always handy," Mrs Owens said. "She was a good golfer too," she said. Once the children moved out, the couple jetted off overseas in the 1970s, visiting European cities such as Italy, Greece, Portugal and the south of France. They eventually settled in their last home together on Galoola Drive, Nelson Bay. "She lived in her Nelson Bay house until she was 102," Mrs Owens said. "She was mowing the lawn until she was 97 and still driving," she said. The almost-107-year-old has four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren. "She is turning 107, and still mentally doing good, so it's pretty great," Mrs Owens said. For the big day, Mrs Owens' brother will come to spend a lunch with herself and their mother.
ABC News
3 days ago
- ABC News
Hiroshima bombing survivors call for end to nuclear weapons, as thousands to gather for 80th anniversary
Kunihiko Iida was only three when the world around him suddenly went black. Trapped under the rubble of his grandpa's house after the world's first nuclear attack, the young boy tried to scream for help. "I tried to call out to my mother 'help me', but I couldn't make a sound," he recalls. "I had no idea where anyone was. No-one was crying, no-one was making a sound." The atomic bombing of Hiroshima was one of the final and most drastic acts of World War II. The United States had urged Japan to surrender or face utter destruction. When the threats failed, the bomb known as "Little Boy" was deployed on the morning of August 6, 1945. The city centre was immediately wiped out, with estimates of up to 80,000 people killed in an instant. Many others suffered severe burns and would die soon after. Mr Iida was lucky to have survived. The home he was staying in was only 900 metres from ground zero. At the time, Mr Iida's grandfather was outside using the toilet, and was able to free his family from under the rubble. "There were people whose clothes had burned away, their skin peeling off," Mr Iida recalls. "If they tried to lower their arms, the skin would stick together. "The next morning, at dawn, when I looked around, almost everyone was dead." Today, thousands of people will gather in Hiroshima near ground zero to remember the catastrophic attack, with an overwhelming message: history must never be repeated. It wasn't just the fireball that caused the carnage. Radiation sickness also took hold, causing thousands to literally rot away while alive. By the year's end, some 140,000 people were dead. Those who survived radiation endured a lifetime of health problems. Many children in their mothers' wombs suffered birth defects. Many survivors also endured discrimination in the years afterwards, as Japanese civilians feared atomic bomb survivors would be infected and create disfigured offspring. Among the victims were thousands of Koreans who had been brought to Japan as forced labour during Japan's colonisation of the Peninsula. Jin Ho Kim, 79, was exposed to radiation as an unborn baby. He's suffered various health problems, but it's proven impossible for doctors to confirm if radiation exposure is to blame. "Not many people know the facts that so many people from the Korean Peninsula were exposed to radiation and died," he said. "There were rumours that people exposed to radiation couldn't get married, couldn't find jobs, or couldn't have children. "My parents had this rule that they absolutely wouldn't talk about the fact that they had been exposed to the bomb." Just three days after the attack, the port city of Nagasaki was also struck. Some 74,000 people died from the blast and subsequent injuries. With the Soviet Union also declaring war on Japan, the emperor finally broke a political deadlock in his war council and announced the country's surrender. The war was over. Survivors of the atomic bombings are known as Hibakusha. They led a campaign for compensation, initially winning medical costs, and then finally getting national financial assistance in 1981. There's been another driving force uniting the Hibakusha: to push for a world free of nuclear weapons. Last year, Satoshi Tanaka joined other survivors on a trip to Norway, where the Hibakusha were awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. "We have two major demands," he said. "To eliminate nuclear weapons, which are the root of all evil for humanity, and to prevent any more victims of nuclear weapons." But with tensions in the Middle East, war between Russia and Ukraine, and China's threats of invading Taiwan, many fear the world is too close to another nuclear attack. "How can we influence, even by a millimetre, a handful of leaders who hold the nuclear buttons?" he said. "These are the very people who pay no heed to the Nobel Peace Prize, who turn a blind eye to it. "We are calling on them to listen to the voices of the atomic bomb survivors." The few surviving elderly Hibakusha are determined that their voice will never be lost, long after they've passed away. "Most people have no idea about the power of the atomic bomb," Mr Iida says. "Modern nuclear weapons are hundreds of times more powerful than those bombs. "They're unusable." ABC/wires
