The Navy veteran, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother is a force to be reckoned with. Her days are full, tending to her garden filled with flowers, lemons and cumquats, visiting her local football club for lunch every week and fondly looking back over the photographs that tell the story of her life.

When Merle moved to Canberra to be closer to her two children several years after her husband passed away, she didn’t want to lose her independence. She still lives by herself and the only extra bit of help she receives is when a support worker from visits once a fortnight to clean her home.

“I am independent, and it’s very good.”

Ben Roche, Case Manager, Calvary Home Care – ACT, said Merle has been supported by Calvary for more than 10 years.

“Merle is an example of one way we help support our clients in their own home. Whether we visit once a fortnight to help out around the house or daily, the Calvary Home Care team is there to help clients stay living in their own home, improve social connections and promote positive health and well-being,” Mr Roche said.

“Each fortnight a support worker visits Merle to clean her home. It is only a small act, but it helps Merle maintain her indendence and means when her loved ones visit they can focus on quality time rather than household chores.”

Merle has lived an incredible life. She was born in Elsternwick, Victoria, on 20 January, 1920.

With her twin brother Don a sergeant in the Royal Australian Air Force, her older sister Alva part of the Australian Army Nursing Service and her husband Bob an Army anti-aircraft gunner, Merle followed suit and joined the Australian Navy in 1943.

In March 1945, Merle’s world came crashing down. Don was just 25 years old and a flight engineer on a Catalina flying boat was the worst thing to ever happy to me,” Merle said.

Losing her husband in 1997 was also an incredibly tough time. Merle and Bob were married for 53 years.

Shortly after Bob’s death she found the last birthday card he ever wrote to her. It read ‘Thanks for making my life interesting”. Merle said Bob wrote it because she is always busy doing something.

“As soon as my feet hit the ground, I don’t sit around all day, I keep busy.”

At 104 years old, it’s a sentiment that still rings true.