Elizabeth Kissack celebrated her 105th birthday on Sunday, making her the oldest living resident in the island.

Elizabeth, who has lived at Castleview Nursing Home in Peel since 2013, celebrated with a visit from her daughter Christie and a Skype call with relatives in the US.

Originally from Bristol, Elizabeth was married to Rex Kissack, Methodist Minister and former chaplain of the House of Keys.

Elizabeth was also president of the World Federation of Methodist Women for a number of years, having travelled the world visiting members in a range of places from Africa, the Americas and the Far East.

During the Second World War she taught at a boarding school in the south of England, where she remembers seeing fighter planes flying overhead during the Battle of Britain.

Elizabeth met Rex in the divinity class which he lectured while she was at teaching training college in London, and they married in 1938 just before he signed up for the RAF to serve as a chaplain.

Later, she would teach at an overseas school in Rome during the 1950s and early 60s.

Elizabeth and Rex decided to retire to the island in the 1970s, with Rex becoming Minister in Laxey.

They later moved to Glen Mooar in Kirk Michael to stay with Rex’s mother.

After Rex passed away, Elizabeth founded a debate group called ’The Heretics’, which is still running and at one point had up to 18 attendees.

It consisted of people getting together to discuss a range of topics ranging from politics, ethics, and philosophy.

Christie said that organising this group was something which Elizabeth had enjoyed the most since moving to the island, and found very rewarding and worthwhile.

She still reads the newspapers and follows current affairs.

Along with Christie, Elizabeth also has a son, John, and three grandsons (Isaac, Aaron, and Robert) in addition to four great grandchildren.