Age shall not weary her

 

Octogenarian Zoe Roadley, pictured, still plays an active part in Anzac Day celebrations at Maungaturoto and in this special commemorative year she is working quietly away gathering all kinds of red and white flowers for the occasion.

Adorned by blue ribbon, together with poppies and ribbon for wreaths, the flowers will be placed in the vases of the 70-odd graves and 25 plaques at the Maungaturoto RSA Cemetary, and the wreaths laid at the flagpole along with those of other representative groups on Saturday morning.

Though her late husband preferred to treat Anzac Day quietly in his own way, since his passing Zoe has taken a more active part in its observance and proudly displayed her Father-in-law’s memento’s from his time in France. This included Albert Roadley’s pay book including the last entry, letters from the trenches, his discharge papers from 25 June 1918 after his third wounding, and the telegram to his wife to say he was coming home, a message of great relief when so many similar telegrams bore the tidings of bad news.

Zoe still drives herself about and knows local roads with effection having lived at Batley for over 65 years. Despite her 88 years, she will be one of the first to line up at Maungaturoto RSA at dawn on Anzac Day.