“A woman, mother and a matriarch. A gentle force to be reckoned with,” is how Aston Naudé described his late mother, Wilhelmina Helena Naudé, who passed away on July 25.

She was born on February 25, 1924.

Mona, as she was known, was 101 years old and a well-known mother figure for many in the Lowveld and Nelsville community.

Aston, her youngest son, shared her secret to ageing gracefully. “She only used Annique cosmetics and believed that when you are young, you look after your body, and when you are old, your body looks after you.”

She married her husband Naudé Naudé on March 1, 1947 and moved to Nelsville in 1994.

Together they had 10 children of their own and also fostered 11 less-privileged children.

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She was firmly grounded in her belief and values, contributing to the New Apostolic Faith by walking alongside her husband in laying the foundations for those around her.

She was a dressmaker, and was known for sewing clothes for special occasions like baptisms, confirmations, matric balls and weddings. Above all, she loved serving the Lord and could not live without Him.

She leaves behind her children – Isaac and Julian Peterson, Aston, David and Sandy Naudé, Cathy Abrahams, Winnie Wyngaaurd, Moira Barton and Helen Davis.

Mona has gifted an invaluable legacy upon all those who have been fortunate to follow the path she has forged and will echo for generations to come.

A service with be held on August 2 at the New Apostolic Church in Nelsville at 10:00.