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“Mind your own business and keep out of trouble.”
That’s the secret to a long and healthy life according to Mysterton’s Gladys Marnock, who celebrated her 100th birthday on Tuesday 5 August at Mater Private Hospital Townsville.
Ms Marnock marked the milestone with cake, flowers and gifts while receiving care for a recent fall in her home that left her with a fractured elbow.
Born on her family property on Charters Towers Road, Ms Marnock has lived in Townsville her entire life.
“My father bought a lot of property in Mysterton – I was born in our little one-bedroom house there and that’s where I grew up.” Ms Marnock said.
She and her husband lived and worked on the property alongside her father and her sister before serving as a civilian in the American Army, stationed at Garbutt.
“The only way we could exist during the Great Depression was to grow things – so we bought a couple of cows and chickens and that way we could make our own milk and eggs and over time we got a butter machine and a cream machine and that’s how we existed.”
While she had yet to receive a birthday card from the King for her 100th birthday, Ms Marnock said she was pleased to be presented with an Order of St Maurice at a recent lunch hosted by the Townsville branch of the Australian War Widows Association.
The medallion is awarded by the United States National Infantry Association to recognise significant contributions made for outstanding contributions to the community of Army infantry.
Ms Marnock received the award for her three years working with the 45th Service Group during World War II, where she was trained on and drove a multitude of vehicles and her work included transporting leaders to their headquarters, moving coffins, and transporting soldiers from liberty ships and planes to where they needed to go.
“My husband also served in the army, working with the US infantry, for five years during World War Two,” she said. “He was five years older than me and had three sisters – he was a wonderful person.
“We applied for recognition for his service in 1946 once the war finished. We tried for many years and weren’t successful, so this is special.”
Mater Private Hospital Townsville General Manager Stephanie Barwick said Geriatrician Dr Raguharan Kathiresu and the hospital nursing team were delighted to help mark Ms Marnock’s significant milestone.
“We ensured Ms Marnock felt like a local celebrity,” Ms Barwick said. “She has spent her whole life here in Townsville, and has seen our city grow significantly over this time – it has been lovely to sit with her and hear so many of her stories.”
Ms Marnock said there was no special secret to reaching 100 years. “It just sort of happened,” she said. “I took it day by day. My advice to other people would just be to live – and live honestly.
“Be active and be interested in life.”
