There was cake, cheers and singing when Irene Chapman celebrated her 101st birthday at the Orange Grove Care Community.
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Irene Chapman lived at Spring Hill and became heavily involved in the church there.
"I was one of nine children so it was very busy," Mrs Chapman said.
"My dad was a railway man and I married a farmer."
Mrs Chapman and her husband Robert Chapman, who died in 2001, lived on a farm near Spring Hill and raised four children, Jenny, Dez, Bruce and Julie.
She has seven grandchildren and about 17 great grandchildren.
Mrs Chapman said she "absolutely loved" her time on the farm, particularly the animals.
"We reared a lot of little baby lambs and all those sort of things," she said.
When it comes to staying youthful Mrs Chapman said she's had good health.
"I've had a wonderful life, good family, I've got nothing to complain about," she said.
"Good families, married a nice wonderful man and that all fell into place."
She has also kept busy and spent 73 years in the CWA.
"We had a very good club in Millthorpe," she said.
"Mum's also patron of the CWA and Millthorpe Women's Bowling Club," son Bruce Chapman said at her birthday celebration on Friday, July 21.
"She's a very special woman in our life."
Mrs Chapman is still involved in care community activities and is actively involved in fundraising, she still cracks jokes and goes for a walk every day with the physio and dogs and still folds napkins for meals.
Her son Bruce and wife Judy still live in the area and attended her birthday celebration including the cake cuttingy ceremony and a more intimate high tea.
Other family members however live further afield in Port Lincoln, Canberra and Griffith.
"Gran has been here six years and the care shown from Orange Grove as it is now is just amazing," Judy Chapman said.
"They do love her a lot because she's just an uncomplaining person.
"Margaret and the team are just amazing."
Orange Grove lifestyle co-ordinator Ramanpreet Kaur joined in the celebration along with family and friends on Friday, July 21.
"Irene is such a beautiful lady, my gosh, 101 and still going and joining all of the activities, smiling," Ms Kaur said.
"She goes around, she walks in the morning with her friends, she attends all of the activities, she will never say no to anything at all.
"I want to be like her when I'm 101, if I'm like her I want to live to 101, she's a beautiful lady.
"She has always that smile on her face."
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Tanya Marschke
I am based at Orange and cover a wide range of subjects as well as the weekly business column. I've worked consistently in the the media industry since 2006 including the past seven years at the Central Western Daily. Before moving to Orange, I worked as a journalist at weekly newspapers the Beaudesert Times and the Gold Coast Sun in Queensland, as well as the Scone Advocate in the Hunter Valley. I started my career at the Ridge News in Lightning Ridge while I completed my journalism studies remotely at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst.
I am based at Orange and cover a wide range of subjects as well as the weekly business column. I've worked consistently in the the media industry since 2006 including the past seven years at the Central Western Daily. Before moving to Orange, I worked as a journalist at weekly newspapers the Beaudesert Times and the Gold Coast Sun in Queensland, as well as the Scone Advocate in the Hunter Valley. I started my career at the Ridge News in Lightning Ridge while I completed my journalism studies remotely at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst.
