Marjorie C. – Still making a difference at 100

At a peaceful retirement village in Laurieton lives war widow Marjorie C. At 100 years old, she is one of the last known widows of a First World War veteran in Australia and has been a member of the Guild for 42 years. We were honoured to talk with Marjorie and hear her story first-hand. It was a rare privilege to hear directly from a WWI war widow and the memories she carries.

Marjorie and her first husband, Ern, married in 1950 and raised two sons and a daughter. After moving back to Marjorie’s hometown of Glen Innes, the couple established a small nursing home which was the start of Marjorie’s long career as a nurse. When they later relocated to Gosford, Marjorie took up a nursing position at the local hospital, working to help others until her retirement at 67.

Marjorie’s journey as a war widow began following Ern’s passing in 1984. It wasn’t until then that she became aware of the organisation and the local support provided by the Guild “I didn’t know about the Guild until I became a war widow,” she says.

Marjorie relocated to Laurieton after marrying her second husband, Alan, also a returned serviceman. It was during her years in Laurieton after the passing of Alan in 2001, that Marjorie became more actively involved with the Guild. She maintained a committed presence within the organisation by joining the Laurieton War Widows Social Club and becoming Coordinator shortly after. “I developed quite a few friends there. They’ve been a big part of my life. Helping people is good for me, I’m not sitting at home thinking about myself and stay active.” For Marjorie, regional living never stopped her from feeling part of her community of widows around the state.

Marjorie speaks of close friendships forged through the organisation, particularly with June, a widow and member of the Laurieton Social Club who has been her friend for over 20 years, and who happens to live in the same retirement village. Marjorie mentions how living so close together allows them to build a strong bond through attending activities and outings together, grab a coffee, and travelling to their social club meetings. Her connection with June is just one of the many impactful friendships she stumbled upon during her decades as a part of the Guild, with Marjorie describing their bond as sisterly.

Marjorie’s time with her social club went beyond coordinating meetings. Marjorie kept in touch with local widows who couldn’t easily attend meetings and made sure no one felt left behind. Knowing that her fellow widows were going through what she had more than once, Marjorie knew how far the smallest gifts we can give one another can go, and how those small gestures like a smile can sometimes be exactly the support someone needs. “It doesn’t take much for you to give a person a smile or good morning.”

Now aged 100, Marjorie still attends social club meetings and supports those around her in any way she can. “I’m still involved. Maybe not to the extent I did a few years ago, but I do what I can.” 

Having been a part of the Guild since the 1980s, Marjorie has seen its evolution first-hand, noting changes in services to support all families, expressing her empathy for families of modern-day veterans, especially young mothers raising children while their partners serve. “The needs of families now are different to what they were when the Guild was first established. We need to support the children, and the mothers, they need a lot of help.”

Through her time of selfless volunteering, attending social club meetings, and expanding her relationships with fellow war widows, Marjorie could not deny that even today, the heart and purpose of the organisation remain. “If you are having a storm, they get behind you.”

In 2025, Marjorie was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to the community of Port Macquarie. Receiving the OAM was both a surprise and an immense honour for Marjorie. But from other perspectives, it was no surprise that Marjorie was acknowledged for her acts throughout her community and her years of supporting others. It came unexpectedly with Marjorie first finding out via a text message informing her that she had been nominated to receive the OAM.

True to her humble nature, she refrained from telling anyone until the honour was officially announced. Despite being the awardee, Marjorie insists the OAM is not just for her, it’s for all war widows and volunteers who, like her, give their time and care to others.

“It’s not just for me, it’s for all the other war widows and volunteers who do what they can to make other people’s day a little better. We owe it to all the people who have gone before us doing wonderful things to help those who are not as fortunate as us to make their lives a little bit easier. There are lots of other people doing wonderful things. I am just a representative of all of them. The OAM is not just for me, it’s for them too.”

For someone who has spent her life putting others first, the idea of being singled out still feels strange. What matters to Marjorie is that others like her feel less alone, less burdened, more cared for. After decades of being a war widow, Marjorie remains clear-eyed about what matters: helping people and being a part of a community that flourishes in supporting each other, because as she says, at the end of the day, helping others helps her too.