By Ebi Kesiena
The woman labelled Wales’ oldest has celebrated her 111th birthday with her family.
Mary Keir was born in St Davids, Pembrokeshire, in 1912 – before the Titanic set sail.
On Friday she celebrated with a party at Awel Tywi Care Home in Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, where she has lived for 11 years.
According to her daughter the secret to a long life was staying busy and gardening.
Mary trained as a nurse at Llandough Hospital in Vale of Glamorgan, where she worked as a ward sister for 12 years.
She recalled being in Cardiff during World War Two: “War broke out when I was there. I remember it distinctly and listening to the announcement, ‘We are now at war’.
“It was September 1939 I think and from then on things were different and we would have constant warnings in the night to get up from our beds and shut the bedroom door so that we weren’t near any glass.”
A keen pianist she played keyboard for other residents until recently.
“My parents bought me a second hand piano when I was a young child and I loved it,”
“l play keyboard now, but I don’t like it. It’s not like a piano. You can make a piano talk, but with this you just press the notes.” Mary said.
Her son Robert Keir and daughter-in law Sian Keir celebrated her birthday with her.
Sian said her mother-in-law was still very independent.
“If someone does make the bed she will undo it and do it again her way. She is an amazing lady,” she said.
She stays sharp by doing crosswords and sudoku every day – she learned the latter after turning 100.
