Childfree older role models and life stories - please share

[Strawberriesandpears]

Hello everyone,

There have been a lot of threads recently (including started by me) regarding fear of being alone in old age. I must admit this is something I am really struggling with at the moment. In one of the threads though, a couple of people helpfully shared life stories of older child free people they know and that really helped me and provided some ideas as to how I could feel more secure in my future. Therefore, I was wondering if people could continue sharing such stories on this thread, and hopefully they might help ease my fears, as well as those of others.

Thanks very much. This is such a helpful and supportive community.

Great aunt (maternal GF's elser sister). Born 1898, lost her fiancee in the Great War, never married but worked for a solicitor for years - effectively WAS a solicitor, but her DM wouldn't allow her to study. Pin sharp, ferociously bright (in her 80s was the only person who could recall some vital legal details for a court case). Spoilt all us kids rotten, gardened enthusiastically, had a fabulous social life, and I suspect an active love life as well - she told DB that she didn't want Miss X on her tombstone, she hadn't missed as much as some people thought.

DF's elder sister - one of the first people to work in computers in the 60s. Married when she was 40, she and DH left computers, ran a guest house then retired to France, converted a barn to live in, travelled, cooked like a dream,loved us visiting. I adored her and wished she'd been my mother.

Neither woman mentioned any regrets about not having DC. Great aunt, however, was pregnant when fiancee was killed in 1916 and her DM made her have an abortion - which must have been pretty traumatic, let alone on top of losing her future husband and it being illegal. Never a hint of it - she loved having kids around.

I think I unconsciously absorbed from them that there are a lot of positives in being childfree.

My aunt was a nun, a teacher (as in training teachers, what’s the correct term for that?). She went to the US to study in the 1970s, in her 50s, and she lived to 100.

Angela Merkel

Dolly Parton
Helen Mirren
Oprah
Teresa May...

Kylie Minogue
Jennifer Aniston
Lionel Shriver...

I love this, I’ve been thinking about this a lot too lately and struggle sometimes with the idea of being along in old age. You’re not alone, OP. I’m not childfree by choice but determined to make the most of this life! What a joy reading about these amazing women, it fills me with hope. I don’t have any stories to add but look forward to reading more of them. :)
This website is great, there’s a notable women throughout history section which is interesting. https://childfreehistory.com/

@Mimosa834 thank you so much for that link, I actually feel a bit tearful looking at the exhibits!!!

@HB1974 its great isn’t it! I love reading about these brilliant women and their lives. I realised last night that as a child I had one of the artist’s self portraits on my bedroom wall (I was a geeky kid who wanted to be an artist more than anything). I didn’t realise she was a childfree icon from the 18th century.

Thank you everyone for sharing all these names and links etc. Very helpful and reassuring!