"YOU only turn 90 once so we should make it special."

That was the sentiment of friends and family of Mervin Kraut, who yesterday treated the nonagenarian to a surprise party at Chung Hing.

The former Rockhampton resident said he was thrilled to be joined by some his closest friends and family.

"I didn't expect this at all - I had tears in my eye," Mr Kraut said.  

"I was just supposed go out for a lunch with a few people on Monday, I didn't expect a thing today.

"I was thinking 'I'd love to have these people and this couple celebrating with me' and here they all are.

"My real birthday is on April 5 but according to my birth certificate it's April 10 because my father didn't register me until then. This is the first time I've got two celebrations out of it though."

Before retiring, Mr Kraut had worked driving cotton harvesters around Rockhampton and then became a power meter reader in Yeppoon. 

"They wanted someone temporary as a meter reader for about six weeks but I ended up sticking in it for 20 years," he said.

He now lives in Tannymorel with his son-in-law Gordon Assay.

"Gordon was married to my daughter Roslyn who we lost last July," Mr Kraut said.

"I had been living in a retirement village up north and they called me up one day and Roslyn, being a nurse, could tell something was wrong.

"She could tell I was feeling a bit depressed and so they said come and live with them, and I'm so glad I did because I'm doing 100% better than I was there." 

Mr Kraut's son, Garry and younger brother Allan travelled from Yeppoon while friends Joan and Cameron Millar travelled all the way from Emerald for the birthday party.

"Mervin was a neighbour of ours in Yeppoon and we've known him since about 1986," Mrs Millar said.

"Gordon told us about the party just before Christmas.

"We tend to travel a lot but we wouldn't have missed this for all the tea in China."  

Mr Kraut said his son-in-law looked after him but he was still going strong at 90 years old.  

"Gordon lets me do what I want to do," he said.

"Merv still mows the yard all the time - he won't let me do it," Mr Assay said.

"He's a social member of the Tannymorel Bowls Club and loves going down there on Friday's and hanging out.

"He also looks after our two dogs - it keeps him young."