There is a third centenarian with connections to the Southern Riverina on the horizon.
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Former Finley resident Betty Florence White (née Young) turns 100 tomorrow.
Betty lived in the region for almost 40 years, until 1990, when she moved to Riverwood Retirement Village in West Albury.
While she does not get back to the Southern Riverina often, her family still wanted to share the special milestone with their many friends and former local paper.
Born at Boort Hospital on April 16, 1926, Betty completed her leaving certificate at Bendigo High School, and moved to Melbourne to work in the National Bank.
When she was 22, she married Bruce Athol White on November 20, 1948.
They lived for a short time on the family property near Katamatite before buying Loch Earn - an irrigation farm of 233 acres, about five miles from Finley - in 1951.
Betty and Bruce worked the farm together until moving to a bigger property, ‘Gladstone’, on South Coree Rd in 1959.
The pair were a strong farming couple, very involved in the Holy Trinity Anglican Church community at Finley.
They were particularly close to Father Bill and Rowena Ginns during their time at the church.
Betty worked with the Mother’s Union to raise money through catering and street stalls.
Her sponges were quite famous and were often sold before they reached the stalls.
She was also very involved at the Red Cross in Finley.
Betty and Bruce worked ‘Gladstone’ until Bruce became ill with cancer in 1978.
After selling the property, they bought a house in Coree St, Finley.
Bruce died in 1980 and Betty stayed in Finley until 1990, when she bought a home in Riverwood Retirement Village.
Betty stayed there until 2021 when she moved into an aged care unit, also at Riverwood.
Betty and Bruce had five children – Julie Burnett (born 1949), David (born 1952, died 2005), Robert (born July 1954, died Oct 1954), Noella Mackenzie (born 1955) and Craig (born 1961, died 1974).
Betty has eight grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
She remains close with Julie and Noella and families, who now mostly live in or near to Albury.
She also has a sister, Pat Monti, who is 96.
Betty credits her longevity to good genes, family, faith, friends, regular exercise and plenty of activities to keep the brain active.
Betty White credits her longevity to keeping active.
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