A Bradford woman who lived in three centuries has died only weeks after marking her 100th birthday and the new Millennium.

Elsie Sellers, of Woodside, who celebrated her centenary year in December, died this week at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

Born on December 30, 1899, Elsie saw in her third century on the planet with a special party. She had the rare privilege of living in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.

Her birthday was featured in the Telegraph & Argus and she said she owed her longevity to "hard work and clean living".

She said: "Life is made a lot easier these days. When I was young my brothers used to have to go rabbiting before school to make sure we had something to eat for tea."

Her daughter Iris Auker 61, said: "She was a very, very caring and loving person and was the best mother anyone could wish for.

"She had a very hard life. She lived through two world wars and I don't think young people today appreciate what people of her generation went through.

"I think if she was to look back she would say life was very different when she was younger, people had a lot more time for their family and people were contented with finding their own pleasures without televisions and computer games."

Mrs Sellers' ashes will be scattered around the tree which was planted in the grounds of her sheltered accommodation to mark her 100th birthday.

Her eight-year-old great-grandson Christopher and his mother Karen Burnett will also tie a commemorative posy to the tree.

Mrs Sellers had two other children, Stan, 79, and John who died of cancer ten years ago aged 65.

She lived in Bradford for 58 years. Her brothers John and Percy Godsmark, both emigrated to Rhodesia, where John worked as a reporter for the Rhodesian Herald, and Percy, proprietor of a gold mine, became Mayor of the Rhodesian town of Catoona.

Before her marriage in 1919 to her husband Thomas, an ironmonger Elsie worked 'in service' as a maid.

She and Thomas spent most of their 63 years of married life in Bradford until his death 18 years ago.

Her funeral service and cremation will be held at Scholemoor tomorrow at 9.30am.

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