On the 16th October Maureen O’Brien will celebrate another birthday - her 105th! Born in 1915 in Tollcross, Maureen was the eldest of eight siblings born to John and Helen Haney. Sadly Maureen’s mother passed away at the young age of 40 and she helped to raise her younger siblings.
Maureen married William O’Brien in April 1940 and they moved to Monkland View Crescent in Bargeddie to set up the family home.
Shortly after their marriage William was called up for service in WW2. At first he served in parts of Scotland and England before being sent to South Africa and Burma where he remained until the end of the war.
Times were hard for Maureen who worked in Beattie’s Bakery in Dennistoun until their only daughter Eileen was born in June 1943 a few months after William’s secondment.
Sadly William passed away in 1996. Maureen still lives in the same house she and William moved to on their wedding day making her the only original tenant in Bargeddie!
In later years she worked as a housekeeper in various church houses in Bailleston, Moodiesburn, Hamilton and Saint Kevin’s Bargeddie where she attended weekly mass until early this year.
During lockdown Maureen found the days long and was bored at times however she was grateful for the daily visits from her granddaughter Maureen and the care she received from the girls at Constance Care.
She passed some of her time crocheting mittens, hats and shawls for the premature babies in Glasgow Royal Infirmary.
Since the lockdown restrictions have eased a little she has been able to visit her only remaining sibling Josephine at her home in Glasgow as well as going to the shops and for lunch out which she still enjoys.
In 2015 Maureen made history becoming Bargeddie’s first centenarian. This birthday will not be the same as her 100th where she had a mass and celebration party in Saint Kevin’s Church and hall attended by over 130 guests, but she’s looking forward to receiving her FIFTH birthday card from the Queen!
On behalf of all our readers and advertisers, we would like to wish Maureen a very
happy birthday.
