Picture: BROOKE LITTLEWOOD
MILLICENT’S former oldest resident Phyllis Magnet Humphries lived through and witnessed a lot, including two world wars, the great depression, the first moon landing and the women’s rights movement.
Sadly, the 109-year-old’s fulfilling life recently came to an end when she peacefully passed away – just weeks after her birthday.
Phyllis came from an era when women were expected to marry, abide by their husbands and seldom travel, however she defied popular trends and traversed the countryside, enjoying her single lifestyle and changing jobs and homes as it suited her.
She was born on October 25, 1909, in Tasmania as the third child to Alfred and Gertrude Humphries and sister to Emily and Ivy and her younger brother Alec.
Her father was originally a Southend resident, but moved to mine silver.
The town Phyllis was born in was located 10km west of the mining town Magnet, which is how her middle name was chosen.
The Humphries family decided to move when Phyllis was four.
Her father did not enjoy working in the mines because he suffered from claustrophobia and so the family caught a boat to Melbourne.
Upon arrival the captain yelled out there was another boat travelling to South Australia and Phyllis was pleased her father decided to continue the journey.
The family boarded the boat Umerella, which sailed to Beachport.
They settled at a farm along the Woakwine Range and the four children walked 33 miles a week, travelling to school each day and to Sunday school.
Phyllis’ father was described as “no farmer” and the skimpy income prompted the family to move to Tantanoola in 1919.
Phyllis was educated at the German Flat School, which later changed its name to Benara Flat School, as well as Tantanoola Primary.
She left school while in Year 7, aged 14, to work on a farm.
However, she soon decided she was no farmer either and relinquished her life on the land.
So ended the first of many occupations.
From the Tantanoola Tiger Hotel as a waitress and housemaid, to Murray Bridge as a cafe waitress and then to Adelaide.
After travelling and working in a variety of places, Phyllis took on the role of carer when her mother fell ill.
A firm believer in the saying “charity begins at home” she nursed her mother for almost a year.
Phyllis was with her mother when she died, as well as her father who also fell ill and passed away.
While her father was ill, Phyllis took a job at Cellulose and packed paper in the finishing room.
Her favourite hobby was to frame calendar pictures and present them as gifts at Christmas time.
She was a resident at Boneham Cottage Aged Care Services for around a decade and was described by those who knew her as a “happy go lucky” woman.
In 2013 she pushed aside her walking frame, clung to a shovel and turned the first sod for the $13m expansion of Boneham Cottage Homes.
At the time she was the oldest resident at the aged care facility, a title she held for the six years that followed.
Life longevity runs in the family, with her cousin Mervyn Osborne holding the title of Millicent’s oldest man when he passed away three years ago at 105 years old.
At the time of the nationwide census in 2011 Millicent had the highest number of centenarians per capita in regional South Australia.
These were Phyllis, Mervn and eight other residents with a minimum age of 100.
