Ref. 71783-5A WILTSHIRE widow who was still doing a paper-round at the age of 83 celebrates her 100th birthday tomorrow.
Dolly Eatwell, of Bradenstoke near Lyneham, is looking forward to a family party and hoping that her sister may make the trip from Oklahoma City to be with her.
One of seven children, Dolly spent most of her life in Purton, before moving to Bradenstoke 14 years ago. Her husband Percy died in 1991.
She said: "I've lived a clean life, and I've done the best that I could. You can't do any more than that. I've never smoked and I've never drunk. I've been pretty good!"
She will need plenty of stamina for this week's celebrations. Yesterday there was a party for her at the Cedars residential home in Purton, where she goes for day-care. Tomorrow is the family party and on Sunday yet another bash for friends in Bradenstoke.
She has one son, Alec 67, and two daughters, Hazel 64 and Valerie 60, together with seven grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Her daughter Valerie Jenkins said: "She worked at Wills' tobacco factory after leaving school and married my dad when she was 23. She started a family in her 30s and then went to work at Garrard Engineering to put my brother through college. Alec had won a scholarship to St Mary's College in London."
Later Dolly worked at Associated Dental Products in Purton until she was 70 and then had a paper round for 13 years. Valerie said: "She's quite an amazing lady. She eventually had to give up work at 83 because of a couple of hip replacements."
But that did not prevent her next adventure."At the age of 91 she flew to Oklahoma City to see her sister Amy, a GI bride, who had emigrated after the war.''
Her other surviving sibling Roy, 73, is definitely coming from Wales. Valerie said: "She is a remarkable lady, very with-it.''
, sharp and astute. She loves life and to be involved with everything we are doing. She comes on holiday with us every year.
"I think the reason she has lived to this great age is that she enjoys life to the full and has had very little in the way of illness, which has given her strength to carry on.
"She still wants to go back to America, but we think she's a little old for that."
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