This golden oldie had a very special Heritage Day yesterday when she celebrated her 100th birthday.
Ouma Katrina Mentoor was born in a Baarhuis farm in Darling a century ago.
Mamma Truitjie, as she is affectionately known in Grassy Park, might be the oldest person in the area.
She is the eldest of seven siblings, of whom two are still alive.
She’s been blessed with seven children, 13 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren.
The ouma says there is no secret to her long life: “It is the grace of God. I feel younger today and I am happy to see all my family here celebrating with me.
“All glory to God who has kept me alive this long.”
Mamma Truitjie is relatively healthy, but suffers from high blood pressure and angina.
Angina affects the heart and causes chest pains when your heart muscles don’t get enough oxygen-rich blood.
However yesterday, Mamma Truitjie’s heart was beating strongly as she heeded President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call to South Africans to do the Jerusalema challenge on Heritage Day.
But her feet and legs could not carry her through the moves and her family did the honours for her instead, as she watched with a big smile.
The street was filled with music and laughter as everyone joined in and afterwards they all had birthday cake and cooldrink.
The ouma is a dressmaker by trade and all her children’s wedding dresses were made by her.
Two of Mamma Truitjie’s children have passed on, but her eldest daughter Joan Japhta, 76, says: “I think I am following in her footsteps and I will reach 100 years. It is a blessing for us to have her.”
Great-granddaughter Jady Julis, 17, says she has learnt a lot of life lessons from her ouma.
“I carry her teachings wherever I go. Every time I visit her, she looks younger, her age does not really affect her,” she says.
velani.ludidi@inl.co.za