Elphin Lodge resident celebrates her 95th birthday
Ellen Quinn, a long-time resident at Rand Aid Association’s Elphin Lodge, recently celebrated her 95th birthday.
Ellen Quinn, a long-time resident at Rand Aid Association’s Elphin Lodge, recently celebrated her 95th birthday.
Ellen was born in Rhodesia, now known as Zimbabwe, on April 17, 1923.
When she was about five years old, her family moved to a farm near the Tugela River in KwaZulu-Natal.
Shortly after moving into their new home, their thatch-roofed cottage caught fire and she remembers running out of the burning house in her nightie. The cottage burnt to the ground and the family lost all their worldly possessions. Not a very auspicious start to life in South Africa.
Also read: Elphin Lodge residents celebrate their 63rd anniversary
Ellen married her husband, Edmund, during the war years at the age of 19. He served in the army and air force and they met at a roller skating rink in Johannesburg. They were happily married for 47 years until his death in 1992. They have three children and three grandchildren.
“Right from the beginning, I’ve loved living here. I am very thankful for my own little cottage and to have my independence, but at the same time, to feel secure in knowing that I live in a place where they care for you. I also love my garden and gardening. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve loved plants and growing things,” said Ellen.
https://www.citizen.co.za/bedfordview-edenvale-news/317860/elphin-lodge-resident-celebrates-nine-decades-of-life/
