With some of her close family members joining her at the Kits Kafe cafe in town, Beryl had a great day full of laughter and love.
‘‘It was just lovely,’’ Beryl said.
From a childhood in Tasmania to a farm in Rochester with her husband and five children, Beryl has had a long and fruitful life.
And her secret? She’s not game to tell.
‘‘If it was a secret, I wouldn’t be telling anyone,’’ she said with a smile.
‘‘I think it’s a lot of salt in your food and sugar in your tea,’’ he daughter Lorraine said.
Despite her age, Beryl is still as mobile as ever having only been in hostel care since February this year.
‘‘If she hadn’t broken her leg a little while ago, she would still be driving too,’’ Lorraine said.
And her mind hasn’t slowed down one bit — not that it would want to with her five children, 15 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren to keep track of.
‘‘Up until last year, she never forgot a birthday. She always sent everyone a card every year,’’ Lorraine said.
Her support and love for her family made up a lot of her daughter’s favourite memories with Beryl.
‘‘She never stopped supporting us,’’ her daughter Robyn said.
‘‘Whether it was taking us to sporting games or making the most delicious scones for different events, she was always there cheering us on.’’
And her support now extends to her youngest family members as well.
‘‘She loves coming out and watching her great-grandsons playing football,’’ Lorraine said.
By the looks of things, Beryl isn’t showing any signs of slowing down anytime soon.