There must be something in the water at The Booms Care Home in Thames.
Resident Shirley Mudgeway celebrated her 100th birthday on October 22, making her the youngest of five centenarians currently residing at the home.
Also in the 100s-club are Ailsa Smith Betty, George Uffindel, Maurice Osborn, and 101-year-old Malcolm Johnston.
“You don’t even think about it much when you’re getting so old,” Shirley said.
“It’s just another birthday. I mean, I’ve had a hundred of them.”
Shirley credits her longevity to a positive outlook, loving family, and an excellent start to life.
“I was a Plunket baby… and all my kids were Plunket babies,” she said.
“It was a good start.”
Shirley grew up in Turua, the eldest child in a home with an open fireplace and no modern appliances.
“Mother did have help in the house every now and again, which one did in those days,” she said.
“I can remember being big-hearted one day and helping Mum… I lit the copper and put the washing oil in.”
Later on, the family moved to Whangārei, where Shirley attended high school until she was 15.
“But the war was on then, and the whole world went upside down,” she said.
“That was the death of my uncle – he was killed in Egypt. I’ll never forget that. But other than that, you don’t think widely when you’re 15.
“You’re thinking about what you’re going to wear or the shoes you’re going to put on.
“And I had to go out to work… which was a shame because I loved schooling and I loved learning.”
Life did go on after the war, and Shirley eventually found herself a husband in Ross, living in several places including Te Aroha and Maramarua. Family life, with five children, suited Shirley.
“I married a farmer, which was the last thing in the world I’d ever thought of… but you can’t deny it when you meet somebody that you’re so madly in love with that you’d go through hell for it,” she said.
“I’ve had a good marriage, and a wonderful family, and still have. I mean, I’ve seen sadness. But you’ve got to have a little sorrow to give you perspective.”
Another Booms resident with a positive outlook on life, Maurice Osborn, celebrated his centenary in August. Born in Stratford, he found himself working and living in a hotel in New Plymouth as a young man.
One of Maurice’s enduring memories is the Queen Mother’s visit in the 50s.
“She stayed at our hotel in New Plymouth… [the boss] said, ‘can you make a room nice?’ I put new carpet in for her,” he said.
“She talked to me for a long time.
“She wanted to know all about my father, she wanted to know what he did and what sort of cows he had.”
Maurice said experiencing new things was what had kept his life interesting.
He’s had many different jobs over the years – after he left his hotel work he made pies, then bought and drove school buses.
Later in retirement he spent time caravanning around Australia and New Zealand.
“Earlier days I helped Dad on the farm. I used to go and drive a horse on the sleds, and when it was calving time I’d go round the paddocks and pick up the calves,” he said.
“You can’t go without doing something new.”
