Rosie celebrates 90th birthday

Heathfield resident Christina Rosina le Grange celebrated her 90th birthday with family and friends at Blouvlei School in Retreat on Saturday June 18 . The Tralee Road resident enjoyed the celebration with her five children, nine grandchildren (pictured) and three great-grandchildren.

Rosie Williams celebrated her 90th birthday with a lunch with family and friends on Saturday May 29; it was a chance for them to spend time reminiscing about her life.
Ms Williams, who celebrated her birthday on Monday May 23, grew up in Diep River, but her family was moved to Parkwood Estate under apartheid’s Group Areas Act. Much of the area was still farmland
then.
She started work for Stuttafords at the age of 14 as a packer and then worked as a cook in the canteen and later in the store’s kitchen, serving meals to customers. She was with Stuttafords for 47 years, and retired at 61.
She still remembers standing in Adderley Street watching the opening-of-Parliament processesions of a government that denied her the vote in her own country. She was 68 the first time she was allowed to vote in 1994.
In her younger days, she was known for her floral artistry, creating beautiful flower arrangements. She enjoyed teaching others the art of flower decoration.
Ms Williams’s, two daughters, Jeanette and Olive, whose father was killed in a car accident about 40 years ago, learnt to play the organ from their mother, who is an avid member of the New Apostolic Church choir. On the Sunday
after her birthday, the Parkwood Central New Apostolic Congregation sang a song for its oldest member.
“I am grateful for God for sparing me all these years,” she said.