Diet, passion and hard work for a long life

Centenarian Owen Farnham. PICTURE/PETRINA HODGSON

Kaitaia man Owen Farnham gives much of the credit for his longevity to a healthy diet, but he might have added the ingredients of hard work, love of family and passion.

Mr Farnham, who celebrated his 100th birthday on September 27 surrounded by family and friends, was born in New Plymouth, the middle child of nine (four boys and five girls), and grew up on a dairy farm. He was just 14 when his father died, leaving him and his brothers to look after the farm.

Owen's brothers Jack, Dick and Monty all served overseas in World War II, but he stayed at home, where he served in the Home Guard, after his mother appealed. And he was happy with that.

"I definitely didn't want to go to war. I opposed it. I was a farmer boy at heart," he said.

His chosen sport as a young man was wrestling. He won many competitions, and was a champion, although he had always been a "skinny wee chap," albeit one who always wanted to be powerful, and tough. He had to be that, just to compete. He would ride his bike more than 50 kilometres twice a week just for training.

"I used to travel long distances on a pushbike."

In 1942 he married Kathleen Moya Smiley, in St Heliers, Auckland. Their parents were acquainted, and he didn't beat around the bush.

"I just went and asked her," he said.

Together they raised five children, who between them produced six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, with more on the way.

Meanwhile the family moved to One Tree Point, Whangarei, but headed to the Far North in 1966, to escape rising council rates, largely the result of the Marsden Point refinery development. They bought a dairy farm at Waiharara and a family home in Kaitaia, Mr Farnham working on the farm every day, right up to the age of 90.

He remembered fondly how the Dalmatian community embraced him and his family when they arrived.

"We'd drink passionfruit wine together and talk away," he said.

Kathleen (Kitty) passed away in 1997, Mr Farnham nursing her in her later years.

"I tell my husband to love me as much as Poppa loved Nana," granddaughter Ngaire Littin said.

He had also long been an avid reader, thanks in large part to his sister Nell.

"He always said the best gift he was given was from his sister Nell, who was the only one of his siblings to attend school.

She would read books to him, and taught him how to read and write," daughter Emily Tavinor said. And he never forgot the advice he heard from a professor on the radio, to observe, remember and compare.

"If you do that you don't have to worry about any problems - you can solve anything," he said.

"This began my search for knowledge and power. I realised I could learn anything if I put my mind to it."

His children agree that his family had always been of most importance to their father, but he also held strong beliefs on most things, and could be very opinionated, a quality he inherited from his mother. The big issues had included fluoridation (which he opposed), getting the railway to the Far North, nuclear testing, GE and the Vietnam war.

He is also a firm believer in alternative medicines, and only began taking pharmaceutical drugs for his ills a year ago.

"No pills, no ills. Drug companies rule the world," he said.

But if there is one major source of pride regarding the way he has lived his life it is that he has always stood up for what he believes in. That does not seem likely to change now.