Marie celebrates her centenary

 

Rand Aid Ron Smith Care Centre (RSCC) resident Marie Roberts celebrated her 100th birthday with family and friends on 27 August.

Born in De Putten, near Zeerust, in 1922, Marie grew up with six sisters and two brothers, and attended a farm school for the first ten years of her life.

“That’s where I learnt to speak Tswana. We used to go to school on a donkey cart,” says Marie.

During the depression in 1932, the family moved to Johannesburg where Marie attended Commercial High School. “My first job was working for Roistone Motors,” she says.

Marie met her husband Lawrence at the local roller rink in Malvern. “When he came swooping up behind me and whisked me around the rink a few times, I was smitten. We married shortly afterwards, when I was 19, and were married for almost 72 wonderful years. He passed away in November 2013 and Marie still misses him.

Marie and Lawrence had two sons, William and John, seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

She worked for an oil company for 25 years and then raised a second family – including her two young grandchildren who lived with her and Lawrence for 15 years.

“Lawrence and I shared a love of music. I used to play classical and jazz on our baby grand piano, and he used to play the drums in a band. I can sit and listen to music for hours,” says Marie.

“My faith is very important to me. I have been very blessed to be part of a big, loving family and to have always had sisters to be my friends,” she adds.