'When life gets tough you just have to roll your sleeves up' says 105-year-old at Edwinstowe care home
A resident at Sherwood Grange Care Centre in Edwinstowe has celebrated her 105th birthday with her family and fellow residents by her side.
Bruna Macukiewicz was born on November 10, 1920, to Giovanni and Anna Grassetti, and lived in a small village called Morrovalle in Italy.
Her family had a small farm and during the Second World War their farm was used to host soldiers who were having a break from the front line.
During that time she fell in love with Bronislaw Macutkiewicz, a Polish soldier.
They were married after the war was over and came over to England, even though neither of them could speak English, and moved to Mansfield in 1946.
They both worked, Bronislaw down the mines and Bruna at Cashes.
On July 19, 1947, their son Frank was born.
But sadly when Frank was nine, his father died of a burst ulcer brought on by an accident down the mine.
Following her husband’s death Bruna carried on working and also took in Polish lodgers.
Life was difficult for her but with steely determination she gradually bought a larger house on West Hill Drive in Mansfield and she then took in nurses and students from the General Hospital opposite.
After some years Mansfield District Council compulsory purchased the house to make way for the new ring road.
Bruna looked around and found Parkhurst House at the corner of Park Avenue.
Some of her friends thought she was mad as the house was run down and hadn’t been lived in for quite some years but she wasn’t daunted by this and set to cleaning, painting and making the house habitable with the help of some friends.
Then Parkhurst Guest House was born and she had many years there until 1999, when she was 79-years-old.
Bruna then went to live with her son Frank and daughter in law Linda.
On March 26, 2014, Frank died of a brain tumour. Bruna was devastated but carried on.
She lived with Linda until she was 103-years-old which was when she moved into Sherwood Grange Care Centre in Edwinstowe as she was having quite a few falls and it became increasingly difficult to look after her.
Linda said: “Bruna loved gardening, cooking and playing cards.
“Bruna puts her long life down to good food, a glass of red wine with her meal and a little Sambuca with her espresso coffee and hard work.
“She has never given up as she says ‘when life gets tough you just have to roll your sleeves up and get on with it’.”