The two women met at Bendigo's Mercy Health Bethlehem Home for the Aged.

"I came in when my husband was sick," Mrs Williams, 81, said. "We decided I would come in to keep him company.

"There was this lovely lady in the room next door to my husband and she used to sing to him. It was Jean.

"We also have a garden out on the side and we both were working in there."

Mrs Williams said Mr McGlashan, 92, became an even more valuable friend after Mrs Williams' husband died in July last year.

"Everyone was very helpful," she said. "The staff and the other ladies were just marvellous.

"But it was great to have Jean around for company."

Both women will be celebrating Mother's Day on Sunday, although circumstances will be different than originally planned.

Due to COVID-19 changes, Mercy Health Bethlehem has restricted the number of visitors residents are able to have.

Each day, the residents are allowed to see up to two guests for an hour at a time.

Mrs Williams and Mrs McGlashan said their children would be working to see them either on Mother's Day or the days around it.

But the coronavirus has not stopped the women from celebrating the day with Mercy Health Bethlehem's other aged care residents.

There was a special Mother's Day High Tea for all of them earlier this week.

"There were great cakes and sponges," Mrs Williams said. "We don't miss out on anything. We really get spoilt.

"We don't get lonely. We can come outside in the garden and there is always someone to talk to or to watch TV with."

Mrs Williams and Mrs McGlashan said they would enjoy their Mother's Day week with plenty of gardening, as well as watching a number of their favourite DVDs with other residents.

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