My Account
Jeune Langer and Larry Mackisack had a joint birthday party.
Jeune Langer was one of three residents who turned 100 last month at Amberlea Rest Home in Algies Bay.
She was joined by Larry Mackisack and Una Neal. They were all born in 1920, in the wake of World War I and the Spanish Flu.
Unfortunately, Una was unwell, but Jeune and Larry celebrated the milestone with a joint birthday party.
Jeune’s name means “young” in French. It was given to her by her father, who served in France during the Great War.
She moved from Taumaranui to Auckland in her teenage years where she found work and spent most of her wages on singing lessons.
When World War II arrived, Jeune’s dreams of becoming an opera singer were put aside. She joined the Women’s Army Corps and was stationed in Devonport for two years.
There she met her future husband, Wally, who was soon shipped to the Pacific. They married in 1944 and bought a home in Auckland, where they raised their daughter, Carol.
Jeune established her own hairdressing salon and would later work at North Shore Hospital, cutting the hair of permanent patients.
In 1977, Jeune and Wally moved to Rivendell Place in Warkworth. At that time, there were just two houses on the street.
Jeune was a keen member of the Kowhai Arts and Crafts club and successfully sold much of her work.
When asked the secret of a happy life, Jeune said it was important to always settle an argument before going to bed.
