100th birthday congratulations to Mrs Moreen Rolston BEM

Wednesday February 25th 2026

The Rev Canon Tracey McRoberts, Bishop George Davison, and Mr James Perry, MBE, DL, joined Mrs Moreen Rolston BEM to celebrate her 100th birthday on February 20.

Many congratulations to Mrs Moreen Rolston BEM, a long-time parishioner of St Mark’s, Ballysillan, who celebrated her 100^th birthday on Friday February 20.

Among the visitors to the Ben Madigan Care Home in Newtownabbey were the Bishop of Connor, the Rt Rev George Davison; the Rev Canon Tracey McRoberts; and James Perry, MBE, DL, representing HM’s Lord-Lieutenant of Co Antrim.

Moreen was born in Yorkshire but grew up during the war years in a quiet country village in Cheshire where her father was vicar. She moved to Altrincham at the age of 16 to train as a nurse, and it was there she met her future husband, James Irwin Rolston, a doctor from Belfast who was in Altrincham for a training course.

They married in 1947, and very soon moved to Nigeria where James was to do missionary work. Moreen had swapped rural Cheshire for the African bush. A year later Edward was born, but after Moreen contracted malaria, the mission sent the family back to the UK.

Bishop George wishes Mrs Moreen Rolston BEM a happy 100th birthday. Looking on is the Rev Canon Tracey McRoberts.

James took on a GP practice in a mining village in rural Wales, and during this time their daughter Gill was born. After 11 years in Wales, the family moved to Northern Ireland where James had family, and he took a job in Ligoneil.

Moreen had given up nursing after her time in Nigeria but was very committed to voluntary work.

She had attended church in Wales, but with her children now at school, she became an active member of St Mark’s, is a former chair of the parish Mothers’ Union, and has been very involved in the local community generally. She was a co-founder of Ligoneil Community Association. In 1992, she was awarded a British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to the community in Ligoneil. She also founded Ligoneil Historical Society.

Moreen spent her big birthday with family and friends and was delighted to receive a birthday card from Bishop George – and, of course, the King and Queen!