Her recipe for living a long life is simple — you must love men and try not to stress.
The GCN visited Millicent Lousia Marais at her Parkhill Gardens home on the eve of her 105th birthday.
Full of humour and good fun, Millicent gave us a look into her life, which she described as happy and fulfilling.
Born on March 19, 1909, in East London, Millicent grew up on a farm and spent a happy childhood there.
“It was wonderful,” she said.
An avid equestrian and horse lover, Millicent told us how she used to ride her horse to school and to the shops.
“My special horse ‘Hannes my Perd’, was a pretty brown colour,” she recalled.
“When I came out of the house and started walking towards the stables, he would know it was me and would neigh a greeting.
“One day I had to go and do the shopping, so I set off on my horse carrying my list.
“When I had everything I needed, I tried to mount to go home, but I had too many things and, try as I might, I couldn’t get onto my horse.
“Luckily a young man passing by, who knew me, saw my predicament and gave me a leg-up, parcels and all,” she said.
Millicent recounted her love of climbing and getting into mischief.
“I wasn’t afraid to use my fists either, against my brothers or the local boys,” she said.
“I was brave enough to do most things, except swim – I never got the hang of that.”
Millicent came from a family of 12 children and said she had to spend a lot of her time helping her mother to look after babies, as well as helping with her grandmother.
“It was funny, whenever something went wrong I was blamed, but whenever someone needed something to be done, I was the first person they called,” Millicent said.
She also described herself as “a proper nosey-parker”.
“One day I saw the people at the farm across the road were having some sort of party – I went across and shouted ‘what’s going on here?’ – I got a piece of cake for my cheekiness,” she laughed.
After Millicent finished school, her family relocated to Port Elizabeth and she started working at Edworks, as a skiver (a person who thins leather).
This is where she met her husband, Andrew, who was working at the same company as a clicker (a person who cuts out new shoes).
The pair married in 1925, in the Baptist Church, in Port Elizabeth.
Shortly after their marriage they moved to Johannesburg and lived in various parts of the city over the years.
Millicent and her daughter, Shirley (58), have been living in Germiston for the past seven years.
Andrew and Millicent had 14 children and Millicent stayed at home to take care of them.
They are: Madge Vaggini (died at 82); John (died at 80), Rita Stopford (died at 78); Lorraine de Paiva (died at 80); Yvonne Lantiri (78); Stan (73); Jean (died at 68); twins Lynette McNamee (died at 65) and Lynelle Pretorius (69); Jennifer Vermaak (died at 50); Eleanor Whystock (62); Robert (62); Kenneth (died at 43) and Shirley (58).
She boasts 45 grandchildren, 94 great-grandchildren, 53 great-great-grandchildren, four great-great-great-grandchildren and one great-great-great-great-grandchild.
Andrew loved to play rugby and Millicent always went along to support him.
“I enjoyed it very much,” she said.
Andrew died in 1964 and, although Millicent has a great love for men, she never remarried.
For her 100th birthday she went on a helicopter ride.
“It was very exciting and I could see the world from a different view,” she said.
“I especially liked the pilot, Brad Kinsey.”
Millicent has a great love for gardening and enjoys reading and crossword puzzles.
“I believe you mustn’t worry about things and take life as it comes,” she said.
On her birthday, Shirley took her out for the day and the family has planned a special party for her at a venue in Aloe Ridge. Millicent said that she is a healthy 105-year-old and her health only sometimes “acts up”, when she knows there are things to be done.
“After they are done, I suddenly start feeling better,” she said.
“I am looking forward to more years.”
