Fit as a fiddle Louise ages gracefully
Louise has always been active throughout her life and even competed in first-league tennis when she was 86.
Louise Laubscher turned 100 years old on Wednesday, June 14, and celebrated the momentous occasion with her three children, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Louise was born in Johannesburg in 1923 and has lived in Roodepoort for 20 years. She was married in 1946 to a man who was a safety officer for the police who sadly passed away at the age of 50. For the past 14 years Louise and her daughter, Mariaan, have resided in the Ruimsig Retirement Village and this was where she celebrated her milestone birthday.
Louise has always been active throughout her life and even competed in first-league tennis when she was 86, a decade later she was still playing hopscotch with her two great-grandchildren. Unfortunately, due to an accidental fall, Louise had to get a hip replacement at 96.
“My mother is still going strong, she is a bit hard of hearing and naturally her eyesight is not the best, but she’s still fit and active,” explained Mariaan. She went on to say that her mother still exercises every day and Louise agreed that staying fit and eating healthy is key to growing old gracefully.
She loves spending time with her great-grandchildren, getting to know them and making memories is very important. Louise and her family have always had a passion for sport and one of her favourite adventures was watching the 1972 Wimbledon Tennis Championship at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London. She looks back on her life and family with fondness and just smiled when she was asked whether or not she had any more items left on her bucket list.
Finally, Louise’s furry companion, Maxie, serves as her eyes and ears, ‘although after Covid he’s forgotten his manners’, Mariaan chuckled as she gave him a few pats.
A trio of women from The Elderly Care Fund for Retired Police Officials from Pretoria together with some retired police officers from the area came through to celebrate Louise’s admission to the 100 club.
“We are the only institution that provides aftercare specifically to retired SAPS members and their family, from the rank of general to cleaner throughout the country,” explained Nadia Sass from The Elderly Care Fund.
