"She came to Marire for individual days, but has only moved in to the rest home this year."
Lynette says when Linda first moved to Stratford, "she only knew us, but she soon made friends with the residents at Marire and really enjoyed going there for the day sessions".
In Linda's lifetime, she has seen 25 Prime Ministers take office, five monarchs on the British throne, and 15 different mayors of Stratford. The current mayor of Stratford, Neil Volzke, was present at the birthday celebrations on Thursday at Marire, where he said he believed Linda is currently the second eldest person in New Zealand. "Some of the toys we play with now, like cell phones, weren't even imagined when Linda was born," he added, before wishing her the "happiest of birthdays," adding he was looking forward to coming to her 108th.
Lynette thanked the staff and residents at Marire for making her mother feel so welcome, "thank you all for giving her friendship".
Lynette says her mother has never been one to make a fuss.
"When she was turning 80, she got wind that we were planning a celebration, so she disappeared. We didn't know where she was, then a neighbour of hers told us she had gone to Melbourne with friends!"
Linda and her husband Fred had five children, and she now has 19 grandchildren, over 40 great grandchildren and "well over 20" great great grandchildren. She and Fred married when she was 21, and for much of her married life they lived in the north, Dargaville, Kirikopuni and Oromahoe, before retiring to Rotorua and Te Puke.
After Fred died in 1976, Linda moved to Mt Maunganui where she lived on her own for about 20 years then moved into a unit in Rotorua where she lived by herself until went to live with Lynette and Robin.
Following an afternoon tea celebration at Marire on Thursday, family and friends joined with Linda to enjoy a lunchtime meal at Colonel Malones the next day. "She doesn't stop," says Lynette, "she is always doing something".
