Rotorua woman celebrates 100 with three parties

Pennie Hill. Photo / Stephen Parker

Pennie Hill has sung and danced her way through life.

The former Christchurch actress celebrated her 100th birthday in Rotorua with three birthday parties.

Daughter Pennie Clark said her mother, who was adopted by Hannah and John Marshall after her mother died in child-birth, had always been the life of any party.

"You could never keep up with her. Mum used to spend her life singing and dancing and raising money for the troops."

Mrs Hill, who "loves food", had three parties to mark her 100-year milestone _ lunch at Skyline Skyrides, afternoon tea at Cantabria with Todd McClay and about 40 residents, and a family dinner at a restaurant.

Daughter Sandra Nader arrived from Australia to help her mum celebrate.

Born in Christchurch on December 18, 1910, Pennie Marshall married Leslie Hill when she was 20. The couple, who moved to Rotorua during their retirement prior to Mr Hill's death, had two daughters.

Mrs Hill now has eight grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.

She was working in theatre before her marriage and was the winner of a beauty pageant prior to settling down with Mr Hill and becoming a mother - but riding horses is what she misses most from her youth. As a youngster, she had show ponies.

Throughout her life, Mrs Hill has been partial to the odd gin and tonic and has the "odd puff of a cigarette on Christmas Day", according to her daughter.

Mrs Hill received hundreds of birthday cards, but the one she was most excited about was one from Queen Elizabeth which now has pride of place on her dresser.

- Rotorua Daily Post