Two Friends Celebrate Their Milestone Birthdays

It’s not every day you get to attend not one but two 100+ Birthday parties but that is exactly what happened at Bolton Clarke's Inverpine residential aged care community in Murrumba Downs as residents Mackie and Thelma celebrated their 101^st and 102^nd Birthdays. 

The two Centenarians are good friends and enjoy having a chat and a cup of tea together – they celebrated their combined 203 years together with a party attended by Moreton Bay Regional Councillor Denise Sims, family, friends and a special concert with songs from the years they were born.

Eileen (Mackie) Sutton was born on 6 October 1915 was serenaded with the songs from her youth said she had a fabulous time.

“I can’t believe they keep making a fuss of me – I just keep having more and more birthdays. I am very lucky to have a close family who come see me all the time,” Mackie said.  

Thelma Sprott was born on the 28 November 1916, she says her claim to fame is working at the Morrows Biscuits factory and hand icing Iced Vovos. Thelma tells of how important family is to her as well.

“I have four sons, 12 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren, I have to have a phone in my room. I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t keep up with all the news,” Thelma said.

The two ladies often enjoy reminiscing about times past as they can clearly remember the depression years. They remember the scarcity of that period and Thelma tells how her mother would make briefs (bloomers they were called then) from Sea Foam Flour bags of white calico, the Sea Foam print would not always wash out and you could have it written across your bottom.

Both agree the secret to long life is keeping healthy and having a good attitude.

“You have to accept the things you cannot change, and learn not to worry yourself,” Mackie said.

“It’s important to keep healthy, eat well and everything in moderation,” Thelma said.

Across the organisation Bolton Clarke supports over 150 Centenarians through at home support services, retirement living and residential aged care. Thelma and Mackie are members of Bolton Clarke’s 100+ Club which aims to create new opportunities to honour and record the lives of our residents, build relationships and reinforce their sense of identity and continuation of their story.

Over the past year the organisation has been working with our Centenarians to gather their stories and their memories of what has happened in their lives over the past 100 years.

Find out more about Bolton Clarke. 

Pictured: Eileen (Mackie) Sutton, Councillor Denise Sims and Thelma Sprott cutting the cake