Beryl celebrates 100 years with cheeky sense of humour
Mrs Carter shares her favourite memories of love and her secret to living a harmonious life
Mackay
Don't miss out on the headlines from Mackay. Followed categories will be added to My News.
BERYL Carter is proof there is no age limit to keeping a cheeky sense of humour.
Today is her 100th birthday.
Remarking it was no marvellous feat, Mrs Carter said, “I’ve overstepped my due-by-date.”
“I never wanted to live a long life and we’re not long-livers so I’ve broken the mould by the sound of it,” she laughed.
Mrs Carter, who lives at Kerrisdale Gardens in Mackay, said she had lived a good life by the side of her late husband Bert, including 26 years at Noosa.
They were married for 72 years and had three children, nine grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.
Mrs Carter said many couples headed for divorce nowadays gave up too easily.
“I mean it’s not a bed of roses, let’s face it,” she said.
“You’ve got to bite your tongue a lot … pretend that you don’t notice some things.
“It’s a lot of give and take in marriage.”
More stories:
Mackay couple celebrates 60 years together
Pioneer Valley couple celebrates 60 years of marriage
Though she said her husband had detested one of her secrets to a long, harmonious life.
“I love scotch with a ginger ale which my husband said was a filthy drink,” she said.
“Bert wouldn’t have it with ginger ale or anything … he went on with some pantomime when he tried it once and went, ‘Bleh’,” she laughed.
Mrs Carter said her favourite memory of their marriage was when he returned from the war on a ship with his troops, pulled rank and “forced his way on the train” to meet her at Roma Street Station.
The lovebirds met when Mrs Carter got a job at 16 years old where Mr Carter had worked as the sales manager.
“(He) asked my mother if he could take me out,” she said.
“She said, ‘Certainly not. My daughter does not leave this house until she’s 17.”
So he asked again on her 17th birthday.
More magnificent centenarians:
A blooming marvellous 100th birthday affair
Twice the fun: Mackay women celebrate turning 103
Proud mum, grandmother’s 100th birthday in lockdown
They later worked together at various businesses including their shop at Coominya and their strawberry farm at Nanango.
“My mum’s been a hard worker all her life,” their daughter Jan Miller said.
“When I was a baby … mum had to push me along in a pram while she picked strawberries.”
Subscriber benefits:
How to make the most of your digital subscription
Daily puzzles and Sudoku another reason to stay subscribed
Mrs Carter’s granddaughter, Jody Euler, said her nanna was a “very strong minded lady” who was “not afraid to speak her mind” but was also always generous.
“She’s someone you can have a joke with,” Ms Euler said.
“There’s pretty much nothing you can’t tell Nanna.
“She’s also full of colour … it doesn’t matter what time of day or week it is, she’s sitting there all dressed up like she’s heading somewhere.”
After a drive-by celebratory parade this morning, Mrs Carter is heading out of Kerrisdale Gardens for the first time since the coronavirus restrictions began to spend time with her family on her 100th birthday.
New owners revealed: Mining town bakehouse reopens
Just three months after it closed a Whitsunday community welcomed back its only bakery, as the new owners worked with the old to bring fresh bread to the town.
WATCH: Driver found stranded on ute roof in raging floodwaters
A North Queensland man is lucky to be alive after being swept off the road and stranded on the roof of his ute in raging floodwaters for hours — until heroic swift water firefighters came to his rescue. WATCH THE VIDEO.