Bosmont great grandmother turns 100 years young
In her time she would see a second world war, the rise and fall of apartheid, man landing on the moon, and the fall of the Soviet Union.
For most celebrating their birthday during the coronavirus pandemic it would have been a memorable non-event.
However, for Thelma Noah, the pandemic is just a minor blip when compared to the history she has witnessed in her time. In 1920, while the world was still recovering from the Great War, young Thelma was brought into the world in the Johannesburg suburb of Doornfontein.
In her time she would see a second world war, the rise and fall of apartheid, man landing on the moon, and the fall of the Soviet Union. Fittingly, Thelma was a school teacher for over 40 years which may explain her love for scrabble, crosswords and reading.
Four generations of family gathered to celebrate the centurion, but she had already been on the phone from early Sunday morning.
“I’ve received calls from my daughters in Australia and Singapore already,” said the spritely centurion.
At 100 years young, Thelma finishes her daily newspapers before 9am and reads well into the later hours of the evening.
This surely serves as the foundation of her wisdom, which she shares, saying, “Look at the future with hope and never give up. We will master the lockdown with the young people’s support.”
