Remarkable Margaret marks 102nd birthday with a tea party

Published on Monday 13 April 2009 09:58

Margaret Shields, a former minister's wife from Sciennes, has celebrated her 102nd birthday.

Mrs Shields was joined by residents, staff and friends for the tea party at Guthrie Court nursing home last Tuesday.

She was born in Glasgow, where she attended school, but has spent most of her life in the Lothians.

She met her future husband, Matthew Shields, when she was living in Glasgow. The couple moved to Broxburn, where he had his first job as minister of a local church. They had one daughter, Elspeth. The family then moved to Edinburgh, when Rev Shields began working for the Newington and St Leonard's Church. This was later converted into the Queen's Hall.

Mrs Shields, who was known as Rita or Reta, threw herself into her role as minister's wife, running the Women's Guild and organising a wide range of church activities. She also enjoyed needlework, baking and gardening.

Her close friend Christina Orr said: "In those days, the minister's wife was really the right-hand woman in the church. Mrs Shields was very much a prime hostess at the Manse. She enjoyed having lots of visitors and was always very welcoming. She was really a pillar of the church."

Carol Tanner, whose mother was a school friend of Mrs Shields, remembers spending holidays with the Shields family in Troon and visiting them in Edinburgh.

She said: "She was always very kind and generous. She had a lovely house, and it was always filled with flowers. She would always bring tea through into the living room on a trolley with a silver teapot.

"She spent a lot of time visiting elderly people in nursing homes. My daughter used to go and visit her, and she liked to take her to Jenners, and buy her toys and presents."

After Rev Shields' retirement, the couple moved to Sciennes and became stalwarts of Duddingston Kirk. He often stood in for the minister when he was away.

After the death of her husband about ten years ago, Mrs Shields was cared for by their daughter.

Miss Shields was a highly respected medical secretary, who enjoyed taking foreign holidays, as well as accompanying her mother on trips to Crieff and Peebles.

Mrs Shields was devastated when Miss Shields passed away in her late 60s, just a week before she was due to celebrate her 100th birthday.

She then moved into Guthrie Court where she is now the oldest resident. She celebrated her birthday with a tea party.

Dr James Jack, the minister of Duddingston Kirk, said:

"She is in quite good health for her age. We had a tea party for her with several members of the congregation and she enjoyed it immensely."