The Ashburton great-grandmother, who turned 100 recently, is a longtime member of the Ashburton Bridge Club.
Members held a celebratory afternoon tea last week after one of their regular weekly games.
Edna said bridge stimulated her mind.
‘‘I love the company for one thing, and it’s a challenge for someone my age. It’s good to be able to do it still,’’ she said.
‘‘You go and meet the people, the bridge players, come out of your little nest and be with other people, which I think is good for you.’’
After blowing out the candles on her birthday cake at the celebration, where about 50 fellow players were gathered, she thanked everyone and said ‘‘Bridge is a big part of my life. I enjoy all the times good and bad’’.
In terms of what she thought was the secret to a long life, she told The Ashburton Courier ‘‘I think it’s just luck.’’
‘‘Skill would be the most important thing. Once you get playing you want to do your best for your partner,’’ Edna said of the game, which in its basic format involves four players in two competing partnerships.
Club president Michael Holdaway said Edna was a good player.
She had been a member of the club for at least 30 years. She had made a name for herself in the club’s sessions, winning the Ashburton Handicap Trophy in 1991 and the Eileen Willoughby Plate in 2001.
Edna was the only centenarian in the club, but among an ‘‘extremely prestigious group’’, as there had been others in the past.
