A Taranaki resident is celebrating her 100th birthday, just a few kilometres from where she was born.
Shirley Houston, who now lives in Eltham, turned 100 today, and said celebrating her birthday in the region she grew up in is special.
“I was born in Hāwera in 1924 and spent my childhood here in Taranaki.”
On Saturday she celebrated the milestone with friends and family, before enjoying more festivities at Eltham Care Rest Home for her birthday.
She said she’s been all over the country but considers Taranaki to be her home. When Houston turned 7, she and her family moved to Eltham for her dad’s work.
“He was employed by the Eltham County Council to drive a motorised grader. Then when I was 12 we moved back to Hāwera with dad employed to do the same job but for Hāwera County Council instead.”
After completing her schooling at Hāwera High School, she became a farm worker.
“It was the beginning of World War II and we all had to get jobs in the essential industries. I worked on three different farms for about two-and-a-half years.”
She was then offered a job at the Hāwera Hospital as a nurse aide in the massage department. She said it was around this time she met her late husband Allan.
“I was dating a nice lad and we decided to go to Whanganui to meet his sister and husband. Well, Allan turned up at the house since he was friends with the sister and from the moment I met him, I just knew.”
Houston said three weeks later she received a letter from the man’s sister, saying Allan wanted her address to write to her.”
“We got engaged on Victory in Europe Day, May 8, 1945.”
Shirley Houston said it was great to celebrate the milestone in the region she grew up in.
She and Allan lived in Whanganui for several years, starting a young family of three sons - Warren, Grant and Craig, before moving to Hāwera and building their first home.
“He worked in a hardware firm and I returned to work at the hospital. Our sons would have been 12, 9 and 7 when we moved in.”
During this time Allan was a member of the Hāwera Pipe Band.
“He loved the drums and all three of our sons are drummers.”
They lived there for 11 years before Allan applied for a job in New Plymouth, with the couple building their second home there.
“We lived here for about 13 years and Allan joined the New Plymouth band. Our eldest sons then moved to Waikato. In 1979, we decided to move to Hamilton to be closer to them with Allan working at a hardware firm then.”
During that time Allan joined the Hamilton Caledonian Society as a drummer and Houston started the Ladies Marching Band in Hamilton in 1992 when she was 68.
“I had marched as a young girl and decided to get back into it. Allan coached the team for a little over five years.”
She said when she turned 75 in 1999, Allan started an oldies pipe band.
“I’d go along and listen and when I turned 80 I ended up having a go drumming. Well, that was the end of that and I became a member of the band. I was part of it until I was 93 and we’d travel across Waikato and Bay of Plenty visiting rest homes and playing for the residents.”
She said they then moved to Cambridge, spending 20 years there living on the same property as their youngest son, Craig. After Allan died in 2020 at 95, Houston said she spent a few more years there, before returning to Eltham two years ago.
“I’ve been all over but that’s the thing. I’ve come full circle now.”
She said she received two letters from the late Queen Elizabeth II for her and Allan’s 50th and 75th wedding anniversaries.
“I’m looking forward to getting one for my 100th birthday from the King.”
She said she has plenty of advice for people to live a good life.
“Eat healthy food, stay calm and enjoy every moment. A good belly laugh a day does a world of good for your wellbeing. You have to enjoy life and I’ve loved every moment. Oh, and a glass of wine now and then never does any harm.”
