Hard work to long life

By Nicole Williams
TURNING 100 won’t keep Jessie Agnes Chester back.
The Berwick resident celebrated her 100th birthday on 21 January surrounded by family and friends at a birthday party thrown by her grandchildren.
She attributed her long life to being active, hard working, never smoking and having a positive attitude.
Jessie is still very independent, having lived in her own home in Berwick since her husband passed away 27 years ago.
She spends time attending to her garden with love and is always ready for a chat with a passing neighbour.
Well known at the Berwick Library, Jessie is a keen reader and enjoys listening to 3AW talk-back radio.
Born in Port Fairy in 1921, Jessie moved to Gippsland where she met her late husband Roy and had two sons, William and Norman.
They lived and worked hard running a dairy farm for 23 years in Trafalgar East.
The couple then moved to Geelong, where they lived until Roy passed away, prompting her move to Berwick.
She received letters of congratulations from the Queen, Governor General, Prime Minister, local state and federal parliament members and the Governor General of Victoria.