I’m feeling hundreds: Bontas ouma enjoys her milestone birthday
STILL FEELING YOUTHFUL: Ouma Florence Arendse, 100
Bonteheuwel’s oldest person celebrated her 100th birthday on Saturday with family and friends.
Florence Arendse had a cheerful day watching presents being dropped off.
Adapting to the new normal brought on by Covid-19, a drive-by celebration was organised and family and friends brought their presents, greeted the ouma from afar, and got a goodie bag for their effort.
Florence tells the Daily Voice: “It is all by God’s grace that I have lived this long.”
Ouma Florence still feels like a spring chicken and says she does not have any of the sickness usually associated with old age.
“I am well, I do not suffer from any sickness. I am only troubled by the leg. I had an accident when I was 21 years old,” she says.
She had one son who passed away 20 years ago and before moving to Bonteheuwel five years ago, she lived in Manenberg.
She raised her grandson Gareth September, who says his ouma loves breakfast in the morning and watching soccer.
“If we did not stop her, she would still be doing other things. She used to wash windows using a step ladder and one day she fell,” he says.
“When she turned 95, we asked her to stop, and now she only cooks her breakfast and folds clothes.”
Gareth says in her youth, his ouma used to do odd jobs before getting a permanent job at a metal company where she worked for 40 years before retiring.
He says he learnt a lot from her over the years: “She is a strong-willed woman. She taught me how to pray, and that I do not need to have all the answers.”
Vernon Stober, who is married to her granddaughter, says they are grateful to still have Florence around.
“We are happy that she reached 100, she is a humble person and can do most daily activities herself.”
Florence’s favourite TV show is 7de Laan and she is not pleased with the SABC’s decision to cut programming down from five to three episodes a week to make space for a new show.
“I watch 7de Laan, now they reduced the days. I am not happy,” she says, before adding with a smile: “We are also Manchester United supporters as the family.”