Hundred-year-old Patricia Marsden gets her birthday wish
A Murray Bridge resident wanted firefighters at her birthday party, and Murray Bridge MFS were happy to oblige.
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Patricia Marsden wanted one of two things for her 100th birthday: Elvis, or some firefighters.
On Tuesday, she got both, more or less.
Two members of Murray Bridge’s Metropolitan Fire Service rolled up to the Murray Bridge nursing home where Mrs Marsden lives in a bright red fire truck, and joined friends and her daughter for morning tea.
So too did state MP Adrian Pederick, who helped organise the appearance.
Unfortunately Mr Presley was not able to attend in person, but firefighter Nick Stephen found a video of him singing Happy Birthday on YouTube.
As well as Mr Pederick’s visit, Mrs Marsden received congratulations by post from His Majesty King Charles, the Governor-General, the Prime Minister, the Governor, the Premier and federal MP Tony Pasin.
She had always wanted to reach 100, her friends from Bridge City Church said.
“It’s wonderful to be able to do it,” Mrs Marsden said.
Her recommendation for long life?
She never drank coffee or tea, she said.
Centenarian loves cooking, gardening and family
Mrs Marsden, nee Reid, was born to Alma and William of Coburg, Victoria on September 7, 1924.
Her life-long love of chocolate began as a child when her mother, who hand-dipped sweets for Rowntree’s, would bring home small amounts in her apron.
She first married, moved to New South Wales and had a daughter, Denise, in her early 20s; but the young couple’s relationship broke down and she returned to family in Melbourne just 10 days after giving birth.
Life was challenging for a single mum in the late 1940s, but she was able to find a job operating a lathe at Marsden and McGain, a Brunswick engineering firm.
She and the boss, Vic Marsden, soon fell in love and were married in 1956.
They started out at Ivanhoe, a nearby Melbourne suburb, and she had another daughter, Cheryl, in 1961.
But they had always wanted to move to Adelaide, and did so soon after.
Over the years they lived at Belair, Wattle Park, Rosslyn Park, Burnside, Glenunga and Mitchell Park.
Mrs Marsden kept immaculate gardens wherever they went, taking pride in her roses; and was a noted cook whose signature dessert was a handmade chocolate cup filled with coconut, almond meal, raspberry jam and a touch of sherry, topped with strawberries and cream.
“People would swoon for them,” her elder daughter said.
“She was also a magnificent cake decorator, and at birthdays we would always have the most amazing cakes.”
She knitted, too, joining the C-Days craft group at Burnside and churning out jumpers in fair isle and cable patterns.
Her husband died in 1993 and Mrs Marsden moved to Murray Bridge in 2014, where she became a treasured member of the Bridge City Church congregation.
She has lived at Resthaven Murray Bridge for the past two years.
“We’re Christians, so we praise the Lord that he’s got her here (to 100),” Denise said.
“It’s by his grace.”
