Radius Residential Care

Western Leader Newspaper
25 February 2010


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Rest home couple celebrate 70 years of wedded bliss

Not many couples can say that their marriage has “gone platinum” but Jack and Waveney Plumtree of New Plymouth have achieved just that: tomorrow they celebrate their platinum wedding anniversary and a remarkable 70 years of marriage.

Married in 1940 at New Plymouth’s Whitely Church, the Plumtree’s have enjoyed a long and cherished marriage for more than seven decades and are looking forward to celebrating their special milestone anniversary tomorrow at Radius Thornleigh Park rest home where they both now live.

The Plumtree’s who do everything together also believe that being compatible and supporting each other is vitally important for a successful marriage.

Companionship is important says Jack and the happily married couple now reside at Radius Thornleigh Park rest home which they choose because they were able to stay together and get the help they need as well as share a room.

“This was the ideal place for us, the staff here at Thornleigh Park are marvelous,” say Jack and Waveney.

The couple met in 1934 when Waveney, a former clothing shop assistant would walk past Jack’s work each day on her way home. A former builder, Jack plucked up the courage to ask her if she would like a lift home and the rest is history.

Before they married Jack had volunteered for the army and served during World War 2 in the campaign of England, Greece, Crete and the western dessert and came home with the 1st Furlow draft.

“It was hard being a newlywed and away from Waveney but our love endured and I returned home in 1944,” says Jack. Waveney and Jack had an only son and now have two grand children and seven great grand children who all live in New Plymouth and regularly visit.

The Plumtree’s intend to celebrate their special day tomorrow with family and friends at Radius Thornleigh Park. As recognition of their milestone anniversary they have also received letters from HM The Queen, the Governor General and Prime Minister John Key.

ENDS

For further information or images please contact:

Leah Corkill, Facility Manager Radius Thornleigh Park
Ph (06) 7583642
Cell 021 534 227leah.corkill@radiushealth.co.nz

Whangarei Leader Newspaper
16 February 2010


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Oldest Resident Set to Celebrate 104 years

Mary Young is having a party tomorrow and she certainly has something to celebrate: she is turning an incredible 104 years of age.

Mary intends celebrating her historic birthday and remarkable old age with a special cake at Radius Potter Home in Whangarei where she now resides.

Born on 11th February 1906 Mary is the oldest rest home resident at Radius Potter Home and believes that the secret to her ripe old age and good health is a life lived according to good Christian Principles. Mary believes that you can’t beat good old fashioned values and that a good philosophy to live by is “Do unto others as you would be done by”.

Exercise is also important for good health says Mary who has never suffered ill health and loves to garden and used to play plenty of tennis, golf and bowls with her late husband Charlie Young. Mary can also attest that she has never once smoked or drunk alcohol and although now blind and deaf she stills listens to the radio and goes for regular walks through the corridors and gardens at Radius Potter Home.

The youngest of 10 children, Mary (nee Stevens) was born in Mangatapere and attended Whangarei Girls High School before marrying electrician Charlie Young. The couple later went farming in Ruakaka and ‘kept the home fires burning’ during the war years. They had a daughter Jill who now lives in Kaikohe with her husband Bruce Gillies. In 1943 the young couple moved back to Crystal Springs in Mangatapere where Mary became a key advocate in keeping the local Mangatapere church alive and her husband continued to farm the family’s jersey dairy cattle. Mary has three grandchildren and four great grandchildren whose lives she follows with great interest.

“It was a good honest farming life lived to the full” says Mary.

ENDS

For further information or images please contact:

Jenna Adams, Assistant Facility Manager Radius Potter Home
Ph (09) 438 2668
jenna.adams@radiushealth.co.nz