At 107, Ada still going strong

By Judy Stanley
Birthday greetings were arriving this week for Ada Furby of Leederville from the Prime Minister, the Governor General and the Leader of the Federal Opposition. A greeting from the Queen was also looking very possible.

Governor General Quentin Bryce, Prime Minister Julia Gillard, WA Governor Ken Michael, Federal Deputy Opposition Leader Julie Bishop, Member for Curtin, WA Premier Colin Barnett and WA Opposition Leader Eric Ripper all sent birthday greetings.
Ada was due to turn 107 on Thursday, 22 July, two days after The Record went to press.
She has been at Villa Pelletier, a nursing home run by Southern Cross Nursing Homes, since 1971 but has been associated with the Good Shepherd Sisters for almost all her life.
Ada was born in in 1903. Her mother died when she was very young and Ada lived with her father in the UK. They came to Australia when she was about 20 for a holiday, but she took sick in Perth about the time they were due to return to England.
As she was not well enough to travel, her father took her to the Good Shepherd Convent to recuperate and he returned to the UK alone. She planned to follow him home once she was well, but she never did. Ada stayed in the Home of the Good Shepherd, working in the laundry.
She made a commitment as an auxilliary supporting the Sisters to care for the girls who were in care. Among the pastimes Ada pursued in the convent were caring for her white cat ‘Bunny,’ crochet and embroidery and these she did extremely well. She won numerous awards for her work when she exhibited it in the Royal Perth Show. Ada continued to crochet until age 100 when her failing eyesight made it too difficult.
Throughout her convent years, Ada would go on holiday to the Ladies Beach House at North Beach. She would always have a group of ladies with her and she would be the “cook” and do the housework while away, so the girls could have a good time.
In 1971, when Villa Pelletier was completed and ready for occupation, Ada was the first of the ladies to move down. She helped the other ladies slowly to move in to the hostel. Once the hostel was fully occupied and staffed, Ada continued to work. She would help in the ladies laundry and also in the kitchen.
The staff tried to convince Ada to retire from all this work on a few occasions but she would take sick if she was not able to do the work she was used to doing.
The best way to get her well again, was to tell her the laundry was in need of her. That proved to be a better remedy than Aspirin for Ada.
Ada became very attached to Sr Cecilia and worked as an assistant in St Clare’s School and with other programmes.
When Sr Cecilia was working in Sydney, Ada was able to travel interstate for holidays with her. Her last holiday in Sydney would have been in the mid 1990s.
It was always Ada’s responsibility to prepare the altar for the weekly Mass at the Villa. She continued this job until after her 103rd birthday. Even when she handed this responsibility over, she would check and supervise it was done to her satisfaction for more than another year.
These days, Ada walks with the aid of a frame, has poor eyesight and her hearing is not the best, but her memory is great, and the stories she recalls are well worth listening to.
To celebrate her 107th birthday, Ada’s Good Shepherd family was due to join her for an icecream.
The Good Shepherd Sisters also wished Ada the best for her birthday, presenting her with a certificate of appreciation “for the many years of valued collaboration in our Good Shpeherd Mission” signed by Province Leader Sr Pam Molony RGS.