Jessica Micallef
Betty Williams didn’t let the COVID-19 pandemic stop her from celebrating a very special birthday.
The Riddell Gardens Aged Care Sunbury resident celebrated her 101st birthday in style on September 11.
Ms Williams grew up in Bristol, England with her two sisters Violet and Lillian and brother George.
“My mother was quite strict because she had to bring us all up after my father passed away from a war injury,” she said.
“But I was quite spoiled by my father.”
Later on in life, Ms Williams married and had three children, Peter, Gerard and Steven.
She is also the proud grandmother to 10 grandchildren and more than 20 great-grandchildren.
Steven said his mother and her siblings created fond memories with each other.
“Betty was the only child with a doll and she had a pram for the doll but it was never used for the doll,” he said.
“All the kids used to take the pram up to the coal yard, fill it up and take it back home. This was back in the 1920’s.”
To celebrate her 101st birthday, Ms Williams’ daughter-in-law baked her a cake and aged care staff decorated the home with balloons and flowers.
Ms Williams credited her long life to walking the dog twice a day, never drinking alcohol or smoking and not stressing.
