80-year-old JJ headgirl still lives in Springs

When it was time to go to school her mother decided she would attend Selection Park Primary School.

This 80-year-old went to Grade One in the same year she turned seven and was one of the fortunate learners to skip grades.

“I only stayed in primary school for six years instead of seven,” she says.

When she moved on to her high school years, she attended the Springs Technical College, now Dr Johan Jurgens High School.

Getting six distinctions in Standard Nine Sarah was chosen as headgirl in 1951.

She worked as a school secretary while in matric, to pay for her schooling.

Sarah remembers going to school earlier than normal to finish some of her admin tasks before she attended her normal matric classes.

“I worked hard during my matric year.”

Her hard work paid off and with the 12 pounds she earned per month, she paid her school fees and contributed two pounds for boarding to help her mother.

Working in her matric year deprived her of getting more than one distinction in matric.

But it wasn’t just all work, she still found the time to play hockey and tennis for the school.

She worked as a secretary for many years until she retired from Springs Boys’ High School in 1995 where she had worked for 23 years.

Although she didn’t know what to do with herself, she has no regrets staying at home for a few months until her husband Tony died in 1995.

Being alone suddenly, made her join every possible club in Springs.

She joined the Malan Nel Community Centre, a gym group, Spring Homecrafts Association and the Friendship Club.

It wasn’t long after she joined Homecrafts before she became the chairman of the club.

This club was close to Sarah’s heart and she kept going, hoping someone would take over from her, but when no-one was interested, she retired two years ago and sadly the club ‘retired’ with her.

One other thing on her to-do list, was a daily visit to senior citizens.

She opened a file for each one she visited and filed all their confidential documents.

“I remember being assisted by a magistrate those days to draw up a will and testament for some of the senior citizens.”

Now that she is a senior citizen herself, she is still actively involved at her church as welfare officer.

She still does charity work in the community, taking those without transport to the clinic and is the caretaker and chairman of the body corporate at the block of flats where she lives.

Sarah might be 80 years old, but this still young-at-heart woman loves baking and going to lunch with her best friends.