ON Saturday, 26 April, friends and family gathered to honour two extraordinary women.
Lily Haworth (née Stumer) turned 103, while her sister-in-law and lifelong friend Freda Haworth (née Wells), celebrated her 102nd birthday.
Their 80-year friendship is a story of resilience and adventure bound by love and deep affection.
Lily Esther Stumer was born on 24 April 1922, in Wondai, Queensland – the ninth child in a family of 11.
She enjoyed a joyful country childhood and was raised with strong values of faith, kindness and a love for learning and the arts.
Lily studied commercial art and, impressively, continues to paint at the age of 103.
She has also written several memoirs, including “A Soldier Dreams”, which was completed just before her 100th birthday.
She met Maxwell Haworth, a member of the 12th Australian Armoured Car Regiment, at a dance in Tingoora during the Second World War.
After his return from active service in Labuan, they married in 1946 and began life together growing bananas in Korora, side by side with Max’s brother Don and his wife Freda.
Freda Wells was born in Guyra, NSW, on 7 May, 1923.
One of six children, she fondly recalls riding her pony “Pebbles” five miles to school through the harsh winters. After earning her Intermediate Certificate, she taught correspondence lessons to children across regional NSW.
While posted near Tamworth, she met Don Haworth, whom she married in 1944.
Living in Korora as young brides married to brothers, Freda and Lily became next-door neighbours and fast friends.
They shared family dinners, a love of tennis and the experience of raising their children side-by-side.
Over the decades, they supported one another through life’s many chapters, including caravanning trips with their husbands and close friends, and the joys and challenges of rural family life.
They travelled far and wide, including a memorable trip to Uluru, where Freda and Max climbed to the top while Don and Lily cheered from below.
Freda also ventured abroad, riding a donkey in Santorini and an elephant in Africa.
Always active in her community, she volunteered with the Red Cross, volunteered as a Pink Lady at Coffs Harbour Hospital, played table tennis with the over-50s and enjoyed many years of ceramics.
Between them, Lily and Freda raised six children, were blessed with many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and have created a legacy rich in love, creativity and kindness.
Their secrets to a long life?
Lily shared: “IOU”.
Inwards – Take care of oneself.
Outwards – Consider others.
Upwards – Look to The Lord.
Freda’s tip?
“A tipple a day and a potter in the garden.”
Their lives remain a beautiful testament to enduring friendship, the strength of family and the joy of growing older, together.
By Andrea FERRARI
