Emma Pritchard

A much-loved mum, nanna, great-nanna, and great-great-nanna, Levena Elkerton, nee Lewis, celebrated her 100th birthday on February 16, with a quiet lunch at her residence in Grafton surrounded by her loving friends and family.

The eldest of three children born in Roma, Queensland, to Henry and Ethel Lewis, Mrs Elkerton spent the early years of her life on ‘Eurella Station’, a property near Amby, where her father was employed as a station hand.

After her sixth birthday, she relocated to NSW and lived with her grandparents at Bald Knob near Glen Innes.

She enjoyed a happy childhood in the New England region, and was taught to play tennis by her grandfather, a sport she has retained a keen interest in.

In the late 1930s, she moved to South Grafton, and a chance meeting with Reginald “Mick” Elkerton at their local corner store soon blossomed into a close friendship.

It was later revealed he used to watch her play tennis on the local courts.

The couple married on August 13, 1940, when she was 17 during the early months of World War II (WWII), and due to war rationing, Mrs Elkerton had to be extremely cautious with her money to purchase material to make her own wedding dress.

The couple had four children, Valmai, Reginald Junior, Pamela, and Gary.

As a loving mother, Mrs Elkerton’s long term involvement and association with the Guiding Movement grew, and she worked closely with the local Brownies, Guides, Cubs and Scouts respectively, describing it as hard work at times, but also very enjoyable.

She became a staunch member of the Guiding’s Trefoil Guild, and one of her proudest and most memorable achievements was the presentation of her 40 Years’ Service to Guiding Badge.

Through the years, she also worked as a sales representative for Avon, Americana, and Tupperware products.

Sadly, her youngest son Gary passed away in 1975 in a motor vehicle accident, and her husband passed away in 1969 after a battle with cancer.

Following the loss of her husband and son, Mrs Elkerton continued living independently in her family home before moving into a unit in South Grafton.

She currently resides at Dougherty Villa where she has lived since 2019.

Recently, Mrs Elkerton was the proud recipient of a birthday letter from His Royal Highness King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort in honour of her 100th birthday.

Along with her children, Mrs Elkerton also has eight grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, and five great-great-grandchildren.