How can you condense 100 years worth of living into a few short paragraphs? With difficulty, but I will try (writes Helen Hills)

Bertha was born on February 10, 1920, spending most of her childhood and teenage years at Pen-y-Mynydd Farm, Four Roads, Llanelli. Her family spoke Welsh and Bertha retaining fluency in our national language delights in speaking with others who do so.

In 1938, with World War Two on the horizon, Bertha left school to pursue her life’s work as a nurse; passing the preliminary nursing entrance examination at Carmarthen Infirmary. The 1940s found her at Swansea, training to become a Staff Nurse and then Acting Sister, whilst bombs dropped on the town.

Post war, Bertha trained for a year to become a Midwife at the hospital in Nottingham, staying on for a further six-months because of the shortage of Midwives in the city. Arriving back in Carmarthen in the middle of the post-war baby boom, Bertha recalls being called out at all hours, frequently early mornings; having to ‘make do’ with dresser drawers as cots.

Then after this at Swansea in the Queen’s Nursing training she gained her District Nurses status. After 18 months in the Swansea district she returned home to Pen-y-Mynydd Farm, to nurse her mother.

In 1949, Bertha arrived in Tenby and together with her colleague and friend Lynne, served the area for over 30-years, as its Midwives, District Nurses and latterly Health Visitors. Bertha laughs as she recalls some of the unlikely stories of these years, including the time when her car stalled in the middle of the night at the flooded road on the way to Gumfreston. Luckily she was rescued by the local GP, also out on call. She was present at the birth of many of the town’s residents and is a popular and well-loved lady; remarkably fit and active. She has been (and still is) a faithful attending member at Deer Park Baptist Church in Tenby for 70 years; her first minister being the Rev. Lumley Williams, whom she recalls with affection.

“The war years were the hardest,” remembers Bertha. “We worked day and night.”

But she smiled as she told me: “This was a job for life”

Bertha, on behalf of all who know you and whom you have helped, we thank you and wish you a very happy and healthy 100th year. May God continue to bless you.

Miss Bertha Walters is pictured above (second left) with her three nieces at her birthday party after the church service led by guest minister David Cardwell, with all her friends at Deer Park Baptist Church with a telegram from the Queen in Welsh and a congratulatory letter from Simon Hart, Minister for Wales.

Alfie, the youngest party guest at four years old, presented Bertha with an embroidered cushion too. Also there was a beautiful floral cake made by Jean’s daughter and the magnificent ‘big mature cheese’ themed cake complete with mice by Lis Prosser.

Instead of presents, a large sum of money was collected for Paul Satori at Bertha’s request.