Centenarian loves glass of red

Ida Marin (front centre) celebrates her 100th birthday at St Joseph’s with (front, from left) great granddaughter Jenna Ackland-Brown, great great grandson Troy Price and granddaughter Lisa Brown; and (rear, from left) granddaughters Loretta Bravin and Sandra Bravin and daughters Silvina Bravin and Stella Furlong.

CATHY ADAMS

ITALIAN grappa is about 80 per cent proof.

But that doesn't scare Ida Marin, of East Lismore, who turned 100 yesterday.

“We used to make our own,” she said about the potent brew.

“It was delicious.”

These days, however, the Italian-born centenarian doesn't hit the hard stuff.

“But I do still like a glass of red wine with lunch,” she said.

And that was just the tipple she enjoyed with family and other residents of the St Joseph's Nursing Home, who gathered to help celebrate her birthday.

Born in the Italian town of Cavaso del Tomba, north of Venice, Mrs Marin moved to Australia in 1940.

She and husband Erminio, who died in 1989, operated banana farms around the Far North Coast.

The couple then moved to Donnans Road in Lismore Heights, where they lived for 42 years.

Mrs Marin moved into St Joseph's only a month ago.

She had previously lived at Ozanam Villas for 27 years.

After leaving school at 13, she started work at a silk factory.

She gave birth to two daughters – Silvina, now 73, and Stella, 65.

Between hobbies that included sewing, crochet, cards and bowls, she was a keen cook and attributes her longevity to her Mediterranean diet, plenty of hard work and not smoking.

Mrs Marin did have one secret tip for making her old favourite brew: “I always added prunes to the grappa.”

Veronica Wilson, St Joseph's Nursing Home facility manager, said that Mrs Marin was a fabulous woman who was well-liked by residents and staff.

She also said it was great that she was ‘still going strong' at 100 years old.

“Ida loves a party, so we put together a cake and made sure the balloons were up and ready,” she said.

As well as her new friends at the nursing home, Mrs Marin's birthday celebrations were also attended by friends from Ozanam Villas.