Prominent Alberton senior dies at 97

Winnie Kapousousoglou, a well-known and long-time resident of Alberton, passed away on March 24 after a short illness. She was a few weeks away from her 98th birthday.

Winnie was born on Easter Sunday, April 12, 1925, to Joseph and Francina Hammond and was the eldest of six daughters.

Winnie witnessed Alberton progress from a small hamlet to what it is today.

A few years ago, the local Historical Society interviewed her because it wanted to record her recollections of the early days of her town.

“As a young girl, she would walk with the family dog from her parents’ house at the top of 7th Avenue to visit her grandparents, who lived near the Eufees Koppie. She recalled that most of the walk beyond the spruit was through open veldt, with just a few odd houses scattered around what is now New Redruth,” explained her son Nicholas Kapousousoglou.

Winnie married Basil in 1942 and helped him with his businesses in town, one of them a delicatessen called Continental Fisheries and Delicacies on Voortrekker Road.

Nicholas said his mother was active in the local Women’s Agricultural Union (Vroue Landbou Unie) for more than 40 years and was treasurer and then secretary for many years.

“She was an excellent baker and sugar crafter and excelled at baking and decorating wedding cakes as well as being an excellent cook. She was also a popular baker for the local tuisnywerheid for many years,” he said.

She is survived by her five children, five grand-children and seven great-grandchildren.