Jean Powell moved to Gloucester just over 30 years ago and recently she has been immortalised with a plaque on Centenarians Row.
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According to her son Robert, Jean lived in several places before finally settling in Gloucester for her retirement years. She had lived in Adelaide before the war, then moved to Sydney were she saw out her career as the head cleaner at the Hornsby Hospital. Robert said his mother had moved to Cessnock in her early stages of retirement, but decided she wanted to move, so her other son, John took her for a drive.
"When they reached Gloucester, she know that was where she wanted to live," Robert explained.
And Gloucester is were she stayed until she passed away on 17 April 2018, aged 100 years. She celebrated her milestone birthday at Hillcrest Nursing Home surrounded by family and friends on 8 July 2017.
Robert didn't know about Gloucester's Centenarians Row, a place where residents who reach age 100, are forever remembered with a plaque placed under a liquid amber tree lining Boundary Street at the edge of Gloucester District Park. Living in Western Australia, Robert spent a bit of time in Gloucester around his mother's funeral and during a walk around town he came across the row of tribute.
Established by the Gloucester Tidy Towns Committee to remember citizens who have reached the milestone, any Gloucester resident (past or present) who reaches 100 years can apply for a plaque in their honour. And so the wheels were set in motion, Robert got in touch with MidCoast Council, and on Friday March 1, Jean's family were joined by members of Gloucester Tidy Towns and staff from MidCoast Council for the official unveiling.
Jean was born on 8 July 1917. She had three children Robert, John and Anne, three grandchildren, Mark Rebecca and Liselle and seven great grandchildren.