Eaglesham's Theresa celebrates 100th milestone

May 13 2009 by Lynda Nicol, East Kilbride News

EAGLESHAM’S latest centenarian has just recently celebrated her birthday.

The milestone for Miss Theresa Bell, who lives in the sheltered housing development at Montgomerie Court, was marked by a party with family and friends.

One well wisher, an old neighbour of Miss Bell’s from Aberdeen, came over from Nigeria especially to be there.

Among the other visitors who popped in to wish the grand old lady well on her big day were Vice Lord Lieutenant of Renfrewshire Mrs Susie Stewart, who presented Miss Bell with a birthday card from Her Majesty the Queen and local councillor Alastair Carmichael.

He was delighted to be at the party to toast Miss Bell’s good health as he is a family member, being married to Miss Bell’s niece Elizabeth.

Born on March 15, 1909, Miss Bell trained in Dundee as a nurse and after qualifying, worked in Glasgow for a while before moving south to Plymouth where she worked as a District Nurse throughout the town’s heavy bombardment by the German Luftwaffe during World War II.

After the war ended, Miss Bell settled in Aberdeen where she worked as a health visitor and was very much involved in the typhoid epidemic suffered by the city in the 1960s.

In the 1990s, Miss Bell decided to move to Glasgow to be nearer her family.

After a spell living in Giffnock, she moved into her present home in Montgomerie Court.

Miss Bell was delighted to see so many friends and family at her party.

She confided to her guests she did not feel 100 adding: “In fact I’ve got a week bit of catching up to do – my grandmother lived until she was 102.”