LENIE Engelbrecht celebrated her 100th birthday on August 25. She was born after the First World War began.
She grew up in Rustenburg and can remember a flu pandemic that occurred in 1918 in which many people died.
She attended school up to standard six and moved to Brixton, Johannesburg by herself at age 16. She started working at a cleaning factory in Commissioner and End streets.
On March 3, 1936 at age 22, she met Philip Engelbrecht, who was the same age as herself. He was born on August 4, 1914.
The couple moved to Nigel and had four children: three sons and a daughter. In 1956 they moved to Alberton where they spent the rest of their life together as a family.
According to Daleen van den Heever, daughter of Lenie, her father used to tell her and her three brothers a story of when he first met their mother at a party and he said, ‘This is the women I am going to marry.’
Hamer Engelbrecht, son of Lenie, used to play rugby for Transvaal in the 1970’s.
Philip Engelbrecht was a mayor in Nigel between 1953 and 1954. In 1972, he became mayor in Alberton up to 1973 and later in the 1980’s, he was mayor again.
Lenie celebrated her 100th birthday on August 25, enjoying a tea party at Tuiste vir Bejaardes and on August 30, her family celebrated at the church hall in Petersfield Street.
