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“It’s been a lovely life and I’m thankful to God for it,” says Macquarie Lodge Aged Care Centre resident, Major Dorothy. As a retired Salvation Army Officer, Major Dorothy has a long-standing connection with the movement. “I went to Sunday School and made some promises then; that I would not smoke, not drink, not have alcohol,” she explains.  

“I was dedicated to the Salvation Army, and then when I was twelve, I attended bible study, which we called the Corps Cadets; that’s bible teaching. From there, my brother died when he was 16, and at his bedside, I felt I should offer myself for fulltime ministry. I prayed to God to be able to use me. I lost my brother, but God has blessed me since then.” 

When reflecting on her childhood, Major Dorothy notes her parents participated in a Salvation Army musical section. “Dad played the Cornet and drums, and Mum sang in the Songsters [a choir], and my younger sister played the timbrel [the tambourine],” she states, noting that her own musical interests lie with the piano and the accordion.  

When she turned 21, she went to The Salvation Army Training College to become an Officer, and it was here she met her husband. “I went to the College and then had appointments in Queensland and New South Wales,” she says. She and her husband’s first appointment was to Roma, in Southwest Queensland. Over the course of her time as an Officer, Dorothy notes that, “every appointment was special.”