A Strichen woman has celebrated her 100th birthday surrounded by her family.
Elizabeth Chapman, better known as Betty, became a centenarian yesterday and received a visit from Aberdeenshire’s Lord Lieutenant Sandy Manson and local councillor Anne Simpson.
As well as this, she received her 100th birthday card from the Queen, something that she was “very much looking forward to”.
Mrs Chapman has five children, Caroline, Peter, Derek, Robert and Sheila respectively. Her husband Peter died in 1986.
Son Peter – former MSP and Aberdeenshire councillor, described his mum’s 100th birthday as a “milestone”.
Spent most of her life on family farm
Now living at Culsh House in New Deer, Mrs Chapman spent most of her life on the family farm at Cockmuir near Strichen.
After getting married, it was here where she and her husband settled just after World War II in 1946.
The couple started out selling eggs from their farm, delivering them locally.
Mr Chapman said: “Mum and Dad used to go out with a wee van and they would go out and deliver eggs into Fraserburgh and Peterhead initially, and then it gradually spread from there and we went into Aberdeen.
“The business really took off in 1963, when they purchased a battery cage unit for 3,000 hens, which kickstarted it to a new level.”
Farmlay Eggs is now run by Mrs Chapman’s son Robert and is one of Scotland’s biggest egg producers, producing nearly three million a year.
With the “business grown out of all recognition”, Mr Chapman said his parents were “instrumental in starting it up”, with his mum involved in the company for a “long number of years” doing various roles.
Stopped driving at 90
Mrs Chapman only stopped driving when she was aged 90, and was involved in the church and local “rural”.
It was only nine months ago that she moved off the farm at Cockmuir and into the care home in New Deer.
However, she has plenty of visitors, as most of her children live nearby, with Caroline living in Ellon. Derek lives further afield in the Borders.
Mr Chapman said his mum “still knows what’s going on” and that when the family visits, she “loves” to play cards.
‘It’s been a long and very fruitful life’
An avid reader of The Press and Journal, she has been reading the newspaper for the past 70 to 80 years and still gets it delivered daily.
Mr Chapman described her as a “real fan”, adding: “She always got the paper delivered when she stayed in the house at Cockmuir and she was absolutely certain when she moved into Culsh House that she gets the paper there as well.
“She definitely spends a good bit of her day reading the P&J.”
After reaching 100 years, Mr Chapman said: “She’s always done very well, it’s been a long and very fruitful life.”
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