On Thursday, July 21, 2016, Alma Sheppard (Mussared), sister of Clarence Valley resident, Stan Mussared, celebrated her 100th birthday. Alma’s parents, Percy and Leah Mussared, lived on a dairy farm in the Nana Glen area at that time of her birth. Her grandfather, William Mussared, was a cheese pioneer in the Coramba area – a street in Coffs Harbour is named after him (Mussared Close), as well as a bridge on the Orara Way. Alma was born in Kia Ora, a maternity home that was located in Duke Street, Grafton. It was very close to the pedestrian crossing of which car drivers are very conscious as they enter the underneath area of present day Shopping World – Kia Ora was run by Nurse McKnight.* Sometime later in that turbulent year of 1916, Alma was baptised in the Christ Church Cathedral, very close to where the pulpit is located. Alma, Stan’s 100 year old sister, is still doing well, and lives in her own home at Narrandera in the Riverina, her carer being one of her three daughters. Alma lived most of her married life on a dairy farm in the Glen Fernleigh area on the Armidale to Grafton road. Her family connections to Grafton have been very strong – her daughter, Marlene attended Grafton High School for five years, her daughter Gloria did her nursing course at the Grafton Base Hospital, and her son Colin started his working life in the town. Her brother Stan, aged 83, taught at Grafton High for 31 years, and has been a resident of Grafton for 54 years. Alma also has two cousins, Amy aged 94, and Flo aged 90, who also live in Grafton. * “I am indebted to Grafton U3A’s history group and in particular to Robyn Higham for the information in the asterisked paragraph,” Stan Mussared.