Evelyn has extra reason to mark 100

A Wairarapa woman celebrated her 100th birthday and wedding anniversary in one yesterday.

Evelyn Gates married dairy farmer Reginald Gates, now deceased, in 1936, on her birthday so she could celebrate future birthdays.

"Because I'd never had any parties [growing up] ... we couldn't afford it," Mrs Gates said.

Their wedding was held in Carterton's St Mark's Church.

The mother of Ethel, Jocelyn and Allan, Mrs Gates said the secret to a long and healthy life was eating "plenty of green vegetables". She kept a vegetable garden in her backyard, which her children helped with.

Her other tip was to "take life as you get it and make the most of it".

Mrs Gates spent her childhood in Wellington, Carterton and Clareville and attended Belvedere School and Clareville School. When she was 12 she left school to help out on the family farm.

"That was the end of my schooling, I had to go and milk cows. Experience is the best teach of the lot," she said.

Mrs Gates has lived through two world wars but said she remembered "only a little" of WWI. She was about 5 when it ended.

She remembered the heavy rationing during WWII and said "everything was hard".

"I can remember the food rationing, petrol rationing, everything else. The shortage of man-power, rationing of sugar and butter."

After the war she helped her husband on their dairy farm and was a member of the Women's Division of Federated Farmers. As well, she had worked as a babysitter and companion to an elderly lady.

Mrs Gates has 10 grandchildren, more than 20 great grandchildren and one great, great grandchild. She had two siblings, who are deceased.

Family and friends filled Mrs Gates' room at Cornwall Rest Home, Masterton, with cards and flowers to celebrate the momentous occasion. As well, she received congratulatory cards from Prime Minister John Key and the Queen.

Fellow residents sang happy birthday yesterday and cut a cake to mark Mrs Gates becoming a centenarian.