NELSPRUIT – A woman of Bushbuckridge reached a massive milestone on Saturday when she celebrated her 113th birthday.
Ms Mary Roberts was born in Pilgrim’s Rest in 1901. This made her 11 years old when the Titanic sank. She also lived through the second Anglo Boer War and two world wars.
Lowvelder visited Roberts on her birthday which she celebrated with family in Nelsville.
Roberts, who has her full wits about her and does not use a walking aid, still danced while her family sang to her.
Her secret to longevity her family claims, is that she doesn’t eat anything with sugar and never eats chicken. She also will not eat frozen meat products.
Her family says (Roberts is completely deaf) that she was born in Pilgrim’s Rest. Her father was a British man who owned a farm with gold mines, called Gloria.
When her father returned to England, he had left another man in charge of the farm on behalf of his daughter. This is where Robert’s life changed as the man and the government at the time forced her off the land as she was of mixed race.
She moved to Bushbuckridge where she still lives today. Roberts had nine children, of whom only three are alive today.
According to her family Roberts says she refuses to die until her land is returned to her. Although Roberts had lodged a land claim about 20 years ago, she has not heard anything as yet.
