Tannie Gretha celebrates 100th birthday

Gretha Kersten, a resident at Palm Haven Home for the Elderly and Alzheimers Retreat in Woodgrange near Hibberdene, since 2018, recently celebrated her 100th birthday, on April 30.

She was surrounded by family and friends on the special occasion.

This remarkable woman was born Gerritdina Johanna de Haas on April 27 in 1922, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, the youngest of eight siblings.

She was brought up by her father, a fisherman, as she lost her mother when she was only three years old.

Later she qualified as a dressmaker and when she was 18, World War 2 broke out and Holland was occupied. Not much fun for a teenager.

After the war, she met Fred Kersten, a motor mechanic, and they married on April 27 in 1948.

During 1957, with five children, the family bravely emigrated to Zimbabwe as motor mechanics were in demand there.

Two more children were born in Zimbabwe.

Gretha and Fred loved going camping and fishing with the children.

Gretha would emigrate to South Africa once she was widowed to be closer to a number of her children who were living there.

Although Gretha was a housewife, she was always busy sewing for her family, whether that be clothes, curtains, or anything else. She was an incredible seamstress.

Gretha loves singing – even while walking in town in her younger days. Even now, she is still able to sing well, especially songs from her youth, for example, ‘Tulips from Amsterdam’.

She also played the harmonica extremely well.

On her 100th birthday she sang some Dutch songs, together with her caregivers who, too have learnt singing along, in Dutch.

Gretha still recognises her children when they visit her at Palm Haven. It was only when she was 94 that she felt the need for assisted living. She loves the caregivers, who affectionately call her Tannie Gretha, and is happy and content.

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