With a heart to bring Christ-centred care to the surrounding community, Mueller College is just one of the ministry entities under the Mueller Community Church umbrella. The Early Learning Centre, Outside School Hours Care, Peninsula Palms Retirement Village & Aged Care Facility, together with the school and the church, are part of a larger vision to serve the generations.

Many of the residents of PPRV have sown into the heart of Mueller over the years, whether through serving as past staff, sending grandchildren and great-grandchildren through the doors, praying faithfully, contributing financial gifts, or simply offering a smile to passing students when they come down to Hudson’s for a roast on Fridays. We are so grateful for the vital role they play in the wider Mueller family through their wisdom, faith and support.

Our next-door neighbours have had reason to celebrate the last few years, with three residents celebrating their 100th birthdays! Let us introduce you to our centenarians, Ella, John and Eva…

Ella, pictured above during her 100th birthday celebrations, is now 102 years young. Born in 1923, she wed her husband Varley and spent time caring for others as a nurse throughout her life. She is known around the village and aged care centre as one of their most dedicated prayer warriors. She’s been mistaken over the years as one who loves a nap, only to find on approach that she is actually deep in prayer!

Eva is our most senior resident being just a few weeks shy of her 104th birthday! Eva was born in Crows Nest in 1921, and the one-teacher school she attended stopped education after Year 5. She then assisted her father on their farm, milking cows, feeding pigs and driving a small truck at age 12. She worked at Cook’s Store at Petrie, Seabrae in Redcliffe and Sutton House throughout the years. During the war, the Americans took over Seabrae for staff accommodation, and her parent’s farm at Lawnton was taken over by the Australian army, with an army camp, hospital and airfield set up in the area.

Eva’s husband, Jack, served in the army and after the war, they built a home in Redcliffe. She was a very capable seamstress in her day and loved patchwork, quilting, and tapestry. She travelled extensively across Australia, Europe, New Zealand, and Norfolk and has made a significant contribution to the family and community over the years.

We asked Eva what advice she would give to her sixteen-year-old self, and she passionately shared she would tell her to ‘Be careful of who you spend time with. Choose your friends carefully and make sure they’re the right ones.’ She attributes her longevity to living a simple life and to her hard work on the farm in her early years, using a horse and plough over long days in the paddocks. She has certainly lived a full, creative, interesting life, and we look forward to celebrating her upcoming birthday.

John was born in 1922 and has just celebrated his 103rd birthday. John’s first job was in a hardware store, and he did a variety of technical jobs throughout his life, repairing televisions, organs and radios and working for an electrical shop. He fondly remembers the time he ran into a mouse inside an organ he was repairing, which was met with screaming from the little child in the house!

He married Win, who was a wonderful pianist and filled their lives with music for nearly 50 years. They had three children and four grandchildren, with whom he remembers playing games and taking trips. John served in the Air Force for five years as a radio technician and operator during the war, for which he received two medals. He was stationed at Mildura base and took great interest in watching the Spitfires and Kittihawks coming and going.

When we asked John for his advice for his 16-year-old self, he said, ‘Be very careful with the relationships you make, especially with who you choose to marry. It’s important that they be on friendly terms and treat each other with respect.’ He shared that it was Win’s kindness and love of music that won his heart, and choosing a good partner was one of the most important decisions he had made in life. Wise words from a wise man!