Tauranga's Queenie Alexander died this week. Photo / File
Tauranga's Queenie Alexander died this week. Photo / File
One of Tauranga's oldest residents has died this week at the impressive age of 106.
Frances "Queenie" Alexander celebrated her 106th birthday in June and credited her longevity to a spoon of kruschen salts every morning for nearly 70 years.
Prior to her retirement to Katikati, she was a hard working farmer's wife back in the 1930s and 40s before taking off to travel the world.
Oldest of Queenie's four sons Owen, now 83, said his parents had the chance to see the world when he left school and took over the farm.
"They travelled the world several times, of course in that day it was all by ship, there were no airplanes and she sailed the seven seas and she could name every port they went into ... she had a fantastic memory," Owen Alexander said.
"She would pick up an ornament off her shelf and said 'oh yeah I bought that in Bangkok', or 'I bought that in Vienna' on 'such and such' a street. She remembered all those places all over the world and in the latter days I think that's what she did. She used to say 'all I can do is sit here and think about the places I've been and the trips I've had'. She was a very worldly woman."
When Rex died in 1983 at the age of 79, Queenie continued to live on her own in Katikati for another 23 years.
Owen said she had always been a family-minded lady.
"She used to go around to all the different neighbours and friends to help the oldies out and half the oldies were 10 years younger than she was ... I think she sort of got the name as the Grand Old Lady of Katikati."
Queenie had been a lady of the land and was a great gardener.
"She grew all her own vegetables right up until the day she moved out," her son said.
Queenie made the decision at age 98 to move into Malyon House in Mount Maunganui for safety reasons, despite still being very able and mobile.
"She made up her own mind and said 'yes I think it's time'. It's only been in the last two maybe three years that she's sort of lost her mobility."
When an accident last week left Queenie in hospital, it was to be her last visit.
"She went into hospital and that's where she stayed. She had family there the whole time, we were there holding her hand when the time came," her son said.
Queenie would be farewelled by friends and family on Saturday in a simple ceremony, he said.
"She didn't want any fuss or bother. She just said she wanted to be cremated privately and 'come and see me off and then go home and have a beer and remember me'.
"She's had a great life with 106-odd years and we can't complain about that."
He put her longevity down to kruschen salts and raw onion sandwiches, "Just about every lunch time she'd have a raw onion sandwich".
Queenie was the oldest of eight children, two still alive, and is survived by her four sons, 12 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Hazel Bryce.
Her younger sister Hazel Bryce, 105, lives across town in Accadia Manor Rest home and said it was a blessing she had passed away at her age.
She wondered if their childhood in the country may have "toughened them up" and contributed to their long lives but thought it was probably genetic as all their siblings had lived into their 90s or early 100s.
Malyon House facility manager Monette Burns said Queenie would be sorely missed after her eight years there.
"She arrived with her four sons and four tearful daughters-in-law.
"She enjoyed socialising and playing mother making morning and afternoon tea for her flatmates, visitors, carers and our maintenance man.
"Her and her family have been a part of our lives at Malyon health for eight years and will be greatly missed."
In 1908 ...
Jan 1 - First time-ball signifying the New Year dropped at Times Square May 12 - Wireless Radio Broadcasting is patented by Nathan B Stubblefield May 14 - First passenger flight in an aeroplane Aug 12 - Henry Ford's company builds the first Model T car Oct 6 - Austria annexes Bosnia and Herzegovina Nov 14 - Albert Einstein presents his quantum theory of light
