Is community key to living to 100? This WWII veteran is being celebrated by his entire town

A regional South Australian town has turned its annual show into a 100th birthday bash for community hero and World War II veteran, Howard Hendrick.

The proud veteran flew Lancaster bombers over Europe before becoming a commercial pilot for several years.

Eventually, Mr Hendrick returned to the Riverland to take up a soldier settler block where he produced fruit with his family.

Some 70 years on, the veteran is treated like a celebrity in Loxton, where he is known for his friendly down-to-earth disposition, service and volunteering. 

And on Monday, Loxton’s love for the centenarian was made obvious when the entire town dedicated its annual show to him.

Residents were joined by visitors from afar in celebrating and saying thank you to a man who had given his community so much.

“It’s overpowering, I’m overawed,” Mr Hendrick said.

“How lucky am I to have all these things being done for me?

“I’m very grateful for how people have been so kind to me, and awarded me for the things I’ve done which I just like doing, it’s just part of me.

“I love Loxton and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”

Loxton Show president Ian Cass said it was only fitting to throw the local icon the biggest birthday party imaginable.

“He’s a much loved local, [who has] been a part of so many people’s lives,” he said.

“He’s done so much for this community.”

Mr Hendrick’s granddaughter Rebecca Davis, and great-grand daughter Sylvia Davis, travelled to Loxton to attend the centenary celebration.

“We’re always impressed at the way Poppa knows everyone,” Rebecca Davis said.

“Whenever we go for coffee with him, we never get to speak to him because everyone is coming up to say hello.

“He’s an amazing role model, and is very comedic,” Sylvia Davis added.

“He always finds ways to make little fun things — like we’d be having dessert at dinner, cause he’s got a massive sweet tooth, and he’d say ‘look at that spider over there’ and steal what we had for dessert.”

A life of service

Mr Hendrick was a bomber command pilot during WWII, successfully returning from about 33 bombing raids over Europe.

He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Medal of the Order of Australia and was also appointed a knight of the Legion of Honour by France. 

He became a key voice in the local veteran community, and his passion for flying has never waned. He was still taking to the skies only a few years ago.

The 100-year-old said belonging to the church drove his generous spirit to reciprocate kind gestures wherever possible.

“My wife Winifred was a Catholic, I converted when we married,” he said.

“We were very poor when we opened the [soldier settler] block, and the Catholic school waived the fees to help our children.”

When his daughters went to Adelaide to become teachers, Mr Hendrick decided to pay it forward by volunteering at the school, where he tended the garden until recently.

Mr Hendrick has been an active member of the local aero club, RSL, Probus club, and went to church just about every weekend.

But as the 2016 Loxton Citizen of the Year explained, it simply made him feel good to give back and be part of the community.

“I go to the Loxton bakery three times a week, and it’s the best bakery you’ll ever go to,” he said.

“I’m meeting people there all the time. Everybody passes the window and sees me and so many people wave or say ‘hello’. It’s a bit flattering. 

“It does give me a lot of pleasure that so many people think of me as good.”

Keys to a happy, healthy life

Mr Hendrick was raised on a block outside Renmark, and said his early years set him up for life.

“My mum never opened a can as far as I can remember, everything was grown on the farm,” he said.

“We’d go out on the river and catch fish, we had cows for milk, chooks for eggs, and us children looked after all the animals.

“We were always active, outside in the fresh air, running around.”

While the longtime Loxton local credited good food and exercise to his long life, he said family and community were the keys to a happy life.

“Win and I were very good friends right up until she died [when] she was 81. We were married 60 years,” he said.

“The two daughters get along well together and the husbands are so friendly. I find that’s very pleasing.”

Mr Hendrick said coming full circle, returning to life on a block made him happy.

“I’ve enjoyed all my time growing fruit on a block. It’s the best thing I ever did,” he said.

“What a wonderful life I’ve had, and the biggest thing is health. If you’ve got health, you can do anything.”