Joy Cole has seen many changes in her 100 years. In 1919 there was no television, internet or smart phones. In fact, there were no tea bags, electric washing machines, nor car seat belts.
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Joy Mary Catherine Cole was born on May 13 that year in Burwood (NSW). Her mother Una gave birth at her family home, which was the norm at this time. Joy was the youngest of three children and trained as a hairdresser in her teens; but World War II, her marriage to Leslie Nash, and the birth of her only child, Sylvia, in 1943 put a halt to her career.
Young wives rarely worked in those days. She had many struggles and raised Sylvia as a single mother until her daughter married in 1963. She then lived with Sylvia and her son-in-law, Keith Dummett, helping to raise their five children.
Joy moved to Canberra from Sydney with the family in 1979 and has lived here ever since. Joy has never held a driver's licence nor owned her own home, and she has never expected to. She married Frank Cole, a World War I veteran and a true gentleman, in 1981. Joy misses him greatly in his passing.
As the years passed, life at home by herself became a little too difficult to manage and at the age of 92 she moved into an aged care facility. She enjoys a healthy and peaceful life at the facility where she still resides.
Joy is grandmother to five and great grandmother to eight. Her grandchildren call her Nana and her great grandchildren call her Gee Gee (GG). She is eager to be around to see the next generation and looks forward to becoming a great-great grandmother. (Soon, she hopes.) She was also eagerly awaiting a "telegram" from Queen Elizabeth for her 100th birthday.