Norma Tucker was born one day before the first Winnie-the-Pooh book was first published.
Within the next week, American musician Chuck Berry; German film actor Klaus Kinski; French philosopher Michel Foucault; and Australian filmmaker Yoram Gross, of Dot and the Kangaroo fame, were also born.
One century later, Norma has celebrated her 100th birthday at the Carinity Shalom aged care home in Rockhampton – her city of birth.
She was born Norma Mabel Grace Dodgson on 13 October 1926 and grew up with three sisters and one brother. Sadly, the siblings’ father passed away when Norma was a child.
Norma left school around 14 years of age. She worked many jobs between leaving school and getting married.
For a time, she lived in Blackwater doing housekeeping and also worked as a cook. Her last job was at a skating rink during World War II; Norma remembers having a lot of fun at this job.
Norma met her future husband, Gordon, while on a train journey from Yeppoon to Rockhampton. They married in 1946, when Norma was 20.
A few years later, the couple took in Gordon’s two nieces when they were orphaned. They raised the girls, who were eight and nine when their parents died. Norma and Gordon’s own daughter, Christine, was born in 1956.
Gordon passed away in 2005, and Norma remained residing in their family home in Wandal. Norma looked after the house and occasionally cooked meals for her family, which includes two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Between them Gail and Monica, the nieces raised by Norma and Gordon, had five children and numerous grandchildren.
Megan Olive said her grandmother has “spent her life caring for others”.
“She is a wonderful baker and cook, with the family enjoying a lot of favourite recipes including corned meat fritters with potato popovers,” Megan said.
“Norma has cared for many others in her life, including many animals that her husband would bring home that were lost or homeless.”
Norma enjoys listening to country music and watching The Bold and the Beautiful on television. She used to play the organ, was very good at knitting, and an excellent card player.
“She will often appear to be doing badly at a game and then end up winning out of nowhere,” Megan said.
Norma also enjoys watching tennis and cricket – but is “not impressed with the idea of T20 cricket”.
Norma celebrated her milestone 100th birthday with family and friends at the Carinity Shalom aged care home, where she has lived for 15 months.
