TWO LIFELONG Hepburn Shire residents celebrated incredible milestones on Wednesday afternoon. Marie Lewis celebrated turning 106 while Nichol Gervasoni celebrated his 103rd birthday surrounded by friends and family. Ms Lewis was born in Kingston and brought up in Blampied during the war. She was working at Blampied Post Office when she got the call to work in the Australian Air Force as a telephonist during World War Two. She was posted at various points around Australia, during which time she met her husband. They married after the war had concluded and settled in Newcastle, New South Wales, for a period before returning to Blampied. She has seen many changes in her lifetime - the introduction of electricity, television and motorcars - but the secret to her still being mentally alert was put down by her son to her always keeping her mind and body active. She had two children and now has nine grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. Mr Gervasoni was born in Kooroocheang in 1916. He was educated to work as a bookkeeper in Ballarat, but after his father died suddenly, he returned to take over the farm. He worked the family farm - cropping, sheep and cattle - for his entire life. It is still in the family being farmed by his son. Mr Gervasoni met his wife, Lorna, as a young man. They lived on neighbouring farms and would ride their horses down to their respective mailboxes where they had the opportunity to chat. They had two children and now have seven grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren. A keen lawn bowler, Mr Gervasoni travelled all over the state to compete. He began playing at Newstead before Smeaton Bowls Club was formed. He was also a top bowler in Daylesford. Both Ms Lewis' and Mr Gervasoni's ancestors were of Swiss Italian heritage and migrated to the region in search of gold in the 1850s. They both kept active by playing sport - Ms Lewis golf and tennis and Mr Gervosoni bowls and bocce - for many years. The birthday celebrations were topped off by fellow John Curtin Aged Care resident Ron Clarke bringing in his 1911 International Harvester Motor Buggy. The vehicle was originally purchased as new by Louis and Carl Will of Goode, near Ceduna in South Australia. Mr Clarke's father was friends with Mr Will and one day in 1949, while visiting the property, Mr Clarke pushed his father to purchase the old car, which was being stored in a shed. His father refused to buy what he deemed "old rubbish" but his brother-in-law made the purchase for 25 pounds and had it shipped to Adelaide. He begun a full restoration of the vehicle but died part way through. And that is how Mr Clarke came to take possession of it. It took many years to do the full restoration, but he was able to drive it for the first time in 2002. The car is 108 years old.
