Paul Newman was born in the United States, Margaret Thatcher in England and, in Cromwell, John McElroy was born.
Mr McElroy, who now lives in Roxburgh with his wife June, would be the middle child in a family that farmed at Hawkesburn Station.
His earliest memory is of feeding pigs when he was about three-years-old.
The family moved according to his father’s work and when he was managing Ida Valley Station the McElroy children attended Poolburn School, which was not where the modern school is now.
"It was a building on private property and when we arrived the roll increased to eight," he said.
After a stint in Blenheim, the family returned to Central Otago and Johnny McElroy went to high school in Cromwell.
It was there his lifelong passion for woodwork was ignited, he said.
According to the school system at the time he was able to spend a day and a half each week in the woodwork room.
While he did not follow that in his working life, he would later complete building a house from lock up stage and spend many hours in his huge workshop.
He had made thousands of turned needle cases for an Ashburton company that sold them all over the world as well as many he had given as gifts. The McElroy’s home has many finely crafted items from furniture to cheese boards he had made.
Otago Boys’ High School has a trophy for the prefects vs staff annual football match crafted five years ago by Mr McElroy on behalf of former student Charlie Marsh, of Ettrick.
After leaving school during World War 2 Mr McElroy trained as pilot training in Tiger Moths and Harvards and was just about to head to England when the war ended. However, his love affair with flying continued and he flew light planes as a hobby.
He spent his working life farming first at Silver Peaks before moving to Heriot and ultimately Millers Flat raising Corriedale sheep.
Achieving his century was down to good luck and good genes with an aunt having lived to 100, he said.
"I look after my body as best I can and keep mentally active."
A former rugby player and golfer he walks as much as he can now.
He had always been a keen reader and when his children gave him an iPad for his 90th birthday he took that in his stride.
Being able to move with the times and not worry unnecessarily might be part of the key to a long life.
"I’ve always accepts what came at me that I couldn’t control."
