‘Miracle, lady of note, matriarch, inspiration.’
These are just some of the words that describe 103-year old Ivy Range who sadly passed away on February 12.
In her lifetime Ivy saw a party line phone develop into a smart phone. She listened to the Pot Belly Radio to the HiFi, from the wind-up gramophone ‘His master’s voice’, to the compact disc player.
She lived through the canvas winged Tiger Moth to the moon landing by Neil Armstrong. Ivy Range had an extraordinary life.
Ivy has travelled by every means of transport, from the ox-wagon, Model T Ford, the modern motor car, the Jumbo Jet and sat in the cockpit with her grandson in a private jet.
She travelled frequently by steam train with her six children from Rhodesia to Knysna to visit her family. The trip took seven days.
On an overseas trip she skipped the border into Germany to visit her family. She was arrested and taken into custody for not having the correct travel documents. Through her determination and honest explanation, intervention by her adopted son, she was released and allowed to visit.
Ivy Range died at the age of 103.
Ivy Elizabeth Stanley was born on August 29, 1914 in Knysna Cape Province and grew up on a small holding in Plettenberg Bay.
Her mom was a Hollander and her dad was British.
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She matriculated in Knysna and left to live in Primrose Germiston with her sister to find employment.
In 1937 she met a handsome Mr Range and immigrated to Rhodesia in the same year. In 1982 she came back to South Africa with her daughter Heather and spent the rest of her time living with her six children.
Ivy spent the past two years living in the cosy Highveld town of Kriel with her daughter Loraine.
“Quite interestingly, she has never been left to live alone,” said her son, Vic Range.
This amazing woman’s children gave her 16 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren and 12 great great grandchildren.
Her two adopted children gave her a granddaughter and four great granddaughters who live in Germany.
“Of the 12 great great grandchildren three were with our mom the days before her passing and will have memories of her throughout their lives,” Vic said.
Ivy believed her long life was a result of her dedication to her family, good morals, good food, no alcohol, no tobacco and no pills and she never drove a car.
