A milestone birthday is being celebrated today in Stratford.
Andrea Smith, nee Climo, turns 100 years young today, and will enjoy birthday celebrations at Maryann Home in Stratford where she now lives.
Andrea was born in Makaranui on November 29, 1921, the 11th of 14 children. She spent her early years in Makaranui before the family moved to Waihī where they began farming. Later, Andrea moved to Whangārei where she lived with one of her sisters, working at the Potter Memorial Home there.
In 1942, during World War 2, she met and married John Smith (known as Jack), a serviceman. He was wounded and sent home in 1944, and the couple then went farming, working in Towai, Northland where they had three children. The family then moved to New Plymouth where Jack worked as a builder and Andrea worked for Duncan and Davies, a garden centre, for the next two decades.
Over the years, Jack and Andrea grew apart and they separated. Andrea and the children moved to Westown and Andrea spent the next 20 years working at the Rangimarie Home and Hospital until her eventual retirement.
