100 years of Elizabeth Myrtle Wilson

Last week in Bowen, Elizabeth Myrtle Wilson celebrated her 100^th Birthday, surrounded by her children, grandchildren, Cunningham Villas staff, and—in true Betty-style—heaps of chocolate.

Elizabeth was born in 1926 in Singleton NSW, the second of six children to William Lucas Coffey and Delda Myrtle Coffey. Her father served as a Light Horseman in WW1, serving in Egypt and Palestine before being wounded in the Somme. Repatriated to Australia, he was given a small 1000 acre farm in Fernvale, where he raised his family.

It was a hard childhood for Elizabeth, but one full of love. The farmland was plagued with drought, and Elizabeth had to walk a mile a day to fetch buckets of water, working hard to farm sheep alongside her parents. She rode her pony to school on the days they weren’t taken by horse and buggy.

The family even had a pet pig – a gorgeous, clean animal that followed them like a dog. Unfortunately, when times were hard, the pet became a luxury they could no longer afford, and they had to eat him to make ends meet.

According to Elizabeth’s daughter, Kerrie, Elizabeth’s mother Delda was “a real pioneer, a remarkable woman in so many ways.” She raised six children in these unforgiving circumstances, keeping them fed and clothed against all odds.

Elizabeth met her future husband, Elton Wilson, at a dance during the second world war years.

“My father was very musical, and he was up playing the trumpet on stage.” Kerrie explained.

“And Dad's never danced in his life. He hated dancing, but he saw my mother there with with my aunt, and he jumped down from the stage and started dancing with mum. That was virtually love at first sight.”

The pair wed in 1946, and started a family in Singleton, having their first children, Susan and John. They built a home, and sadly, lost it, when floods took away everything they owned.

So, they moved, and began to rebuild. Elton’s work took them to Sydney, Gove, and Tumut, before they eventually settled in Collinsville, where Kerrie was born. Elton worked in mining and Elizabeth opened a dress shop that became hugely popular amongst locals.

She had always been a beautiful dresser and was very well known for her intricate crocheting and knitting- also renowned for her traditional Christmas cakes.

Otherwise, she dedicated her life to her family.

“She saved every cent they could so that we children would ultimately benefit in the end from their hard work.” Kerrie explains.

There were times when it didn’t seem Elizabeth would reach the century milestone.

“She is regarded as an incredible woman and nearly died on 3 occasions.” Kerrie says.

“One of those after contracting Human Metapneumovirus.  All of the Doctors and Nurses said she would not recover from this.

“But despite them calling a Priest to give her last rites, she defied us all.  She did this again and again.”

Now, Elizabeth has piles of cards congratulating her on her long life, from respected figures including the King of England, the Premier of Australia, and Federal Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox.

She spent her 100^th birthday surrounded by loved ones, doing her favourite activity – eating chocolate – which, Kerrie jokes, is perhaps the secret to her longevity.

1 – Elizabeth’s 100th birthday was celebrated in style.
2 – A beloved member of our community, Elizabeth has lived a long and fascinating life.