February 25, 2019
Turning 100 is a big occasion so it’s fitting that South Burnett resident Jean Black had two big celebrations to mark the occasion recently.
Last Thursday, a birthday party was organised by SBcare to mark the occasion, and this was followed by another big event at the weekend for about 100 family and friends.
Both were held at the SBcare building in Avoca Street, Kingaroy.
The Thursday morning tea – which was catered for by the Meals on Wheels team – featured about 30 members of the SBcare Tuesday and Thursday social groups plus invited guests including South Burnett Mayor Keith Campbell and members of the SBcare Board.
And, of course, there was cake!
SBcare CEO Cheryl Dalton said the combined age of the social group members in the room was an amazing 1322 years.
Jean (nee Aiken) was born in Brisbane in 1919.
During World War II she served in the Australian Army Medical Women’s Service as a nurse, working at the Greenslopes Hospital which treated wounded Diggers returning from New Guinea and the Middle East, as well as World War I soldiers still suffering trauma.
She met her future husband, Percy, by chance in the surf at Surfers Paradise when they were both on holidays.
The couple married in 1946 and Jean moved to the South Burnett where Percy had a dairy farm at Booie.
Over the years, the dairy farm was transformed into an intensive piggery – one of the first in the South Burnett – and the couple later raised beef cattle.
They also had three children: Alison, Joan and Graham.
Percy died in 2003.
Jean has been heavily involved in the Kingaroy community.
She was secretary of the Kingaroy Hack and Pony Club for many years, treasurer of the Order of Eastern Star, secretary of the Kingaroy RSL Women’s Auxiliary, and treasurer of Kingaroy Quota.
She is still an honorary member of the Kingaroy Quota club and many members were present at the weekend celebration as well as friends from the OES.
Cheryl Dalton said Jean was “her benchmark”.
She wanted to be “as feisty, as knowledgeable, as community-minded and to have as much fun” as Jean as she grew older.
Daughter Alison said her mum – who still lives at Booie – completes the Courier-Mail’s nine-letter word puzzle every day and enjoyed playing word games.
And, according to Cheryl, she still enjoys the occasional glass of wine with dinner at the Wooroolin Hotel!
- Related article: Jean Is 99 Years Young
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 Craig Lucas |
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