Leila 101 the toast of this Toowoomba home
BRODRIBB Home’s most senior resident Leila Conway celebrated her 101st birthday with family and friends at the Toowoomba home.
The birthday girl was treated to a special cake at a morning tea among fellow residents before heading out to lunch with family.
“She ordered a roast dinner with Yorkshire pudding,” her son Lindsay said.
Mrs Conway was born in Inglewood in 1917 and grew up in the district on the family cattle and sheep farm.
She met shearer Bruce Conway in Inglewood and the couple married in Warwick in 1937 when Mrs Conway was 20 and her husband 21.
Mr Conway enlisted with the RAAF during World War II and served as a bomber pilot over Europe while based in England.
Mr and Mrs Conway had four children, daughter Jill who is now 75, Neil, 70, Lindsay, 69, while eldest son Melvyn died aged 69 some 10 years ago.
Mrs Conway has a younger brother, Claude Johnstone, who is now 96.
The young Conway family moved to different centres including Texas where Bruce Conway was overseer at the Inglewood/Texas Shire Council before moving to Gatton where he was appointed overseer to the Gatton Shire Council.
Mrs Conway lived independently until about three years ago when she moved into Brodribb Home.
Her secret to her longevity was simple: “Looking after children,” she said with a smile.
Having lived for more than a century, Mrs Conway said she had seen a lot of change.
“The biggest change is how children live now,” she said.
“If the children lived like we did, they couldn’t do it.
“There’s too much technology and not enough simple living.”
Mrs Conway has lived to meet four generations of her descendants.