July is party time at Radius Millstream for Ashburton centenarians Valmai Wilson and Doris Wakelin.
Valmai turned 101 yesterday, and Doris will turn an impressive 109 next week.
She is New Zealand’s second oldest citizen.
While the milestones are worth celebrating, the pair view birthdays as just another day, and just another number.
Yesterday, Valmai celebrated her birthday during the care facility’s Mid Winter Christmas event.
Along with a cutting a special cake Valmai was sung to by members of the Ashburton MSA Men’s Choir.
Last year, she was serenaded by the late Noel Johnson.
This year, having a choir means she is having “the whole shooting lot” she said, with twinkle in her eye.
Good food, country living and hard work are the secrets behind reaching 101, Valmai said.
‘‘I would like nothing better than to be out standing in a nice field of green grass right now.”
Valmai likes being at Radius where she everything is good; the food, the bed, the company and staff.
She keeps active by walking daily and looks forward to visits from her family, who were good at popping-in to see her.
Meanwhile Doris is looking forward to celebrating her birthday on July 24 with her family.
They will visit her at Radius, where she moved to 10 months ago.
The highlight of her birthday will be karaoke led by her granddaughter Sheryl Graham.
Doris said she is happy at Radius.
With her view of the street she notices how much traffic goes past.
Doris was interviewed earlier this year for a book Age Concern Wellington is producing to celebrate their 50th anniversary.
Century of Stories tells the stories of 25-30, New Zealanders 100 years old and older.
Doris has lived all her life in Mid Canterbury and outlived six of her seven children.
Her youngest child, Noella Talbot, also lives in Ashburton.
Doris believed the secret to living a long life was to eat plain down-to-earth food, keep busy, do for others, be active and always look at the positive.
Positive living
‘‘The past is the past, it’s behind us, it’s happened, we need to focus on the future, though think positively and always live on the bright side of life,’’ Doris said.
She may have had a number of health issues over the years but she says ‘‘I’ve just got on with living’’.
It’s a similar mantra for Valmai.
Country life has always been part of her world, having lived on a farm at Lyndhurst as a child and then moving to Methven on getting married to farmer Ian.
Valmai said she’d had a good life, and believed the country air had helped her good health.
She and Ian, whom she met at a country dance, had four sons.
‘‘Family is important to me, I love my sons and my hard-working late husband. Sadly one boy passed from an accident when he was in his 20s.
‘‘I have lots of wonderful grand and great grand children.’’
Valmai attended Lyndhurst primary school before going on to Ashburton High School and then leaving school to help her dad on the farm.
‘‘I feel lucky that I have had a healthy life and for someone my age I am pretty fit. But that is thanks to all the walking on the farm and the good ordinary meals mum cooked,’’ she said.
Meanwhile, throughout Doris’ life she has seen 26 Prime Ministers, 22 Governor Generals and five Monarchs.
In the years since turning 100, she has received birthday cards from these dignitaries and was hoping this year to receive another one from King Charles.
But the cards that hold the most significance are those from her family, especially the hand-made ones from great and great great grandchildren.
Doris has many grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren.
Radius activities co-ordinator Elyse Mcfaull said that having Doris and Valmai at Radius was a delight.
New Zealand’s oldest known living person is Aileen Kars who is 112-years-old living in a retirement village in Palmerston North.
