One of Chalmers Home’s oldest residents is no stranger to hard work, having lived and worked on Taranaki farms for most of her life.
102-year-old Jean Andrews grew up on a 240-acre farm near Urenui before moving to a dairy farm at Tikorangi where she lived for more than 60 years.
“In Tikorangi I helped mum and dad in the cowshed,” Jean remembers. “The milking was initially done by hand but then we bought a machine. If the engine wasn’t working we’d have to do it manually, which wasn’t a small task when we had 100 cows to milk.”
During haymaking season, Jean used to help cook a full meal and then deliver it to the haymakers out in the paddocks.
When she lived near Urenui, Jean remembers visiting a good whitebaiting spot on the Onaero River and filling a large pot.
“My mother would share the whitebait with her friends around the district because there were no fridges.”
After retiring, Jean moved to a house in Vogeltown where she lived for 30 years before moving to Chalmers Home after having a stroke.
“I do miss driving my own car but I do get out on van trips,” she says.
While she has a long lifetime of memories, and holds the proud title of being a great, great grandmother, Jean says you’re only as old as you feel.
“There’s no good dwelling on it! You’ve got to treat everyone the same,” she says. “You’ve got to look forward, not backwards. You’ve got to be nice to your friends and not grumble all the time.”
