Centenarians' club expands

Marjorie Yates turned 100 on Friday and celebrated the occasion with family and friends at Switzer Home in Kaitaia.

She is the third centenarian living at Switzer Residential Care, joining Mavis Bilby and Maude Matthews (who turned 100 on February 11).

Georgie Atkin, a nurse at the home, noted of Marjorie: "She's amazing for her age. She still plays bingo."

Daughter Marlene Dawson welcomed a large gathering of family, friends and descendants, some up from Auckland, for the big party.

Marjorie and her husband Bob Yates (who passed away 30 years ago) had four children: Marlene, Wendy, Ngaire aka Billy, and Robert aka Sandy; and 12 grandchildren (that was a guesstimate). Both Ngaire and Robert have passed away.

Marjorie was born in Whangarei, one of four boys and three girls, and grew up on a farm near Mt Denby where she milked in the morning before going to school.

She went to Whangarei High School, and was a keen sportsperson, playing netball at school and later tennis and golf in Kaitaia. She also became a keen and very competitive card player.

She moved to Oruru, married Bob Yates in 1932 and lived on the Forsyth Homestead. When Bob went to the war she ran the farm on her own, although she had some help from a farmhand called Tom McManners (not enlisted because of a bad leg) who later said of her: "Of all the women I have known, I admired Marjorie the most".

Marlene felt this was a "wonderful tribute" to her mum.

She recalled playing her mum at cards once and tried something which her mother said she technically couldn't do. Peeved and out to prove a point, Marlene went to town and bought a book on the rules of 500 to show she was right. Upon showing it to her mum, Marjorie said, "The book is wrong."

The family moved to Taipa after Bob's death 30 years ago, and built a home there.

Marjorie went into Switzer in 2001.

Of the staff there caring for her mum, Marlene couldn't speak highly enough.