A Dubbo woman who loved helping the community with her husband has been awarded an Order of Australia Medal.
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Jennifer Armstrong received the King's Birthday honour for her service to the Dubbo community in her roles at Dubbo Hospital, St John's Ambulance, Royal Life Saving Australia and the Salvation Army Dubbo Corps.
But, Ms Armstrong wasn't alone in her roles, there was always one special person beside her.
![OAM recipient Jennifer Armstrong. Picture by Belinda Soole OAM recipient Jennifer Armstrong. Picture by Belinda Soole](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/37qTRiw9gHRe7AczHzCfjaK/a79c4694-7cca-479e-b540-7c4838a69e5d.jpg/r0_0_3600_2400_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"My husband always had a smile on his face and I looked after him at home until he passed, so he's never left me," she said.
"I'm continuing to do all of this for the both of us really, because if he was here he would be doing it with me."
Ms Armstrong has always been community minded, something she learned early on from her own parents.
She first got into nursing when she was in her 30s, once all of her children had started school and she was itching to do something to help people.
"I went to TAFE and did a WOW [work opportunities for women] course which was for older women wanting to get back into the workforce," she said.
Getting a job at the Dubbo Base Hospital in 1988, she trained as an enrolled nurse.
"I love medicine and nursing and it was a huge passion of mine," she said.
I know it sounds corny but I love people...
- Jennifer Armstrong
Ms Anderson's husband John was a retired paramedic for St John's Ambulance which she herself joined in a volunteer capacity.
"We would go out to do duties at events, we would provide first aid on site at a lot of different events, we did Coonamble Rodeo so many times it wasn't funny," she said.
When the couple left St John's Ambulance, they continued to provide a service to the smaller shows who couldn't afford an ambulance on site.
"We could provide the service at a reasonable price so it wouldn't put them out and they could still have the service they needed to run their event," she said.
"We did that together and we would love doing that and being out there together, we just love being out with people."
![OAM recipient Jennifer Armstrong. Picture by Belinda Soole OAM recipient Jennifer Armstrong. Picture by Belinda Soole](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/37qTRiw9gHRe7AczHzCfjaK/b945e82f-3804-4389-b4b2-3fb60a05eae1.jpg/r0_0_2400_3600_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The couple also joined the Royal Life Saving Australia organisation, training people in life-saving CPR.
"We trained all sorts of weird and wonderful people," she said.
Despite retiring a number of years ago, Ms Armstrong is unstoppable, joining the Salvation Army as a volunteer.
Working two-and-a-half days, Ms Armstrong works with the young kids and junior soldiers, and is also the chaplain for the community service program.
"It's about forming connections with people and not just sitting back and watching life go by and actually doing something and sometimes actually making a difference in someone's life, which is really awesome," she said.
She does that for three-and-a-half hours a day, three days a week.
"That's plenty for me, I'm 70, I don't need to be taking on more than I can, but I just love it, I love being around and helping people," she said.
"If I can walk in and put a smile on their faces I love that, it's just in my nature, and I know it sounds corny but I love people, there's something good in everybody."
With three children and seven grandchildren who all live in the Dubbo area, Ms Armstrong looks back on her life with a smile.
"It's all a tapestry of my life and it's beautiful," she said.
When Ms Armstrong heard she would be an OAM recipient she said she was proud and honoured.
"I'm very humbled to think that people would think that what I've done over the decades is worthy of something like that," she said.
"Thank you very much to whoever nominated me, this is such a privilege and honour, I can't believe it, it's amazing."