Brenthurst resident celebrates 100 years
Most people can only dream about reaching the ripe old age of 100.
This remarkable milestone was celebrated by Brenthurst resident Winnie Uys on Tuesday (20 February).
The petite woman with neat hair and a friendly personality was all smiles when she shared memories of her self-described happy life with the Herald on Tuesday morning.
Winnie was born and bred in Cullinan and later attended boarding school in Middelburg.
It was during her childhood years that she met and became friends with her future husband.
“My late husband Piet and I were friends from a very young age and he later become the love of my life,” said Winnie.
The couple married in 1942 and moved to Brakpan.
She has fond memories of their younger days and remembers with a grin how he used to do her homework.
“My husband was a very clever man and he taught me all about numbers,” she said.
After school, Winnie moved to Johannesburg with her parents and worked at the Rand Show grounds for a while.
She then found work as a bookkeeper at a company in Johannesburg before starting a career spanning 38 years at Sappi in Springs.
Asked about a highlight of her life, Winnie recalled receiving a long-service award from her employer as a stand-out moment.
“I was the head of the invoicing department at Sappi and had quite a few people working under me,” she said proudly.
Winnie also reminisced about her travels throughout South Africa and abroad.
“My dear husband and I loved to travel and we often visited game parks,” she said
“We also travelled to Rhodesia [Zimbabwe].”
Piet passed away in 1978.
A 30-day trip Winnie undertook with her only daughter, Mary-Ann Uys (61), in 1980 was also an experience she still remembers distinctly.
“We visited many wonderful places, but the visit to Scotland was the best,” she said.
According to Mary-Ann, who lives with Winnie, her mom has always been a very caring person.
“Her last driver’s licence was issued when she was 91 years old and she was always the one who transported her friends from one place to the other,” said Mary-Ann.
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Winnie stopped driving at the age of 92 when her eyesight began to deteriorate.
The centenarian told the Herald she loved to swim and play tennis and that she still enjoys watching tennis on TV.
She still washes the dishes and loves to make her own bed.
Her special day was celebrated with friends from the Methodist Church.
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