A Warminster resident who has lived in the town her whole life celebrated her 100th birthday over the Christmas period.
Grace Wheeler marked the milestone with a surprise party at her care home, attended by friends, family, residents and staff.
Grace was born in 1925 in Broad Street. Life in Warminster Common could be hard at that time, and Grace said that “you had to fight to survive”.
At the age of ten, Grace’s family moved to a house in Bradley Road. She attended Newtown School in Chapel Street and later Sambourne School.
Grace left school to start work at the Silk Factory in West Parade on her fourteenth birthday.
“She made good friends and enjoyed the camaraderie, although the shifts were long and the work demanding,” said Grace’s daughter, Sue.
“During the war years the factory produced parachutes, and she enjoys telling how the workers were occasionally known to smuggle out small offcuts of silk to make underwear, to help alleviate wartime clothing rationing.
“She possibly missed her true vocation as a nurse, although she greatly enjoyed doing voluntary work with the Red Cross during the Second World War.”
Grace worked at the silk factory for 15 years, until it became Raphael Tuck’s greeting card factory, where she worked for a further 15 years.
In 1950, Grace married Eric Wheeler. The couple have two daughters, one granddaughter and two great-grandchildren. After almost 70 years together, Eric died in 2019, a few months before reaching his 100th birthday.
“Mum has lived in Warminster all her life; she loves the town dearly and is always quick to defend it from any criticism,” said Sue.
“Over the past century she has witnessed much change and development in her hometown. It is interesting and enjoyable to listen to her descriptions of some of the buildings, shops and businesses from her early years, and her anecdotes about some of the local characters and their escapades.”
“She has always been resourceful and practical, with a strong creative flair,” Sue added. “Until recently she was a skilled knitter and needlewoman, producing many items of clothing for her family and beautiful outfits for her daughters’ dolls. She remains very sociable, greatly relishing a good chat, especially about ‘the old days’.”
