Celebration: Lil Cowan’s 100th birthday celebration at REDHS’s Yalukang Aged Care on January 24.
Lil Cowan celebrated her 100th birthday on Monday, January 24, at Yalukang Aged Care at REDHS.
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Mrs Cowan enjoyed cake and festivities with her family and friends, and received many beautiful cards, flowers and well wishes, including from Buckingham Palace with a letter from the Queen.
Lil was born in Bendigo at the Eaglehawk Private Hospital on January 24, 1922.
She had two brothers, Allan and Bill, and then there was a gap between Lil and her sister Margaret.
The family moved from Eaglehawk to Goornong on to soldier blocks.
Lil attended Goornong School until the age of 14, finishing with merit.
She enjoyed playing tennis, golf and attending the dances in Bendigo.
A bus would run from Bendigo to the Goornong Saturday night dance classes, and leave at midnight.
“I would help my parents out on the farm,” Lil said.
“I was helping with shearing, meals, cropping and cattle.”
At 18 years old, Lil worked at the Elmore Hospital as a cook.
"We only had a wood fire, so I was up at 4am, light the stove and fires in the rooms and this would help dry the nappies,“ Lil said.
“I stayed in the resident quarters out the back.
“Coupons were used for the supplies of the hospital.
“Mrs Burns from Burnewang used to come in and donate supplies to the hospital as there were not enough coupons to go around.”
When Lil was 20, she was back working on the farm, and she married Bill Cowan.
“I found my husband at the local dances,” she said.
“Bill went to Melbourne to get my engagement ring — it cost 29 pounds, which was more than the cost of my wedding dress.”
On May 24, 1947, Bill and Lil were married, and moved to Elmore, where they lived for a couple of years, before moving to Belleholm Rd, Avonmore.
Bill and Lil had five children — three boys, two girls — Wayne, Peter, Kathy, Dianne, and Ian.
“I was a stay-at-home mum, my family were my world,” Lil said.
“Bill was a mechanic in the Army.
“In those days we had no power so we would boil up the copper — one of the best things to come along was the washing machine.
“I loved to entertain family and friends and assist on the farm.
“Relatives and neighbours use to come often — I liked to make scones but there was always something in the cupboard for visitors.”
Lil’s family said she had a great memory, always remembering people’s birthdays, anniversaries and the like.
She is devoted to her family, as evidenced by her love and desire to be near them always, and has a strong faith, which gets her through any situation.
“I never thought I would be 100,” Lil said.
Royal touch: A letter from Queen Elizabeth II arrived just before the cake was cut.
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