Oriole celebrates a century
She remembers the 1950s fondly as a time when the family frequently spent the July holidays in Margate and fell in love with the South Coast.
The South Coast’s newest centenarian, Oriole Heysen, celebrated her 100th birthday at Mbango Valley Association last Saturday, September 26.
Friends and family joined her for her birthday celebrations.
Born in 1920, Ms Heysen was raised in Benoni on the East Rand.
ALSO READ : Freeland Park’s Vera celebrates her 100th birthday lockdown style
She married and moved to Engcobo the Eastern Cape where, in 1941, twins Llewellyn and Lyall were born.
As a result of the war, Ms Heysen and the twins moved to the West Rand where her parents were both employed in the mining industry.
In 1944, while living in Venterspost, Ms Heysen gave birth to her third son, Denzil.
She remembers the 1950s fondly as a time when the family frequently spent the July holidays in Margate and fell in love with the South Coast.
In 1961, all three sons emigrated to Zimbabwe. Ms Heysen moved to the family cottage in Margate, and was happily employed at Margate Hotel.
However, she missed her sons so she too decided to move to Zimbabwe, where the family was reunited.
She spent many happy years there, running a boarding house and later managing the Bindura Country Club.
She married Margate local George Heysen and the couple went on to manage the catering services of the BSAP Club in what was then Salisbury.
By 1980 the family had moved back to South Africa and their love for the South Coast brought them to Margate.
In her younger years, Ms Heysen enjoyed travelling and visited many countries. Her hobbies included cake icing, sewing and watching sport especially rugby – she is an avid Sharks supporter!
She enjoyed doing the Herald crossword puzzles and on one occasion even won the newspaper’s famous ‘Where’s our Wally?’ competition.
Ms Heysen’s fervent desire is to be part of every family venture and celebration, but due to the pandemic, this has not always been possible in recent months.
Her view on Covid-19? “I wish this nonsense would end.”
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like the South Coast Herald’s Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram
