Celebrating a century
Alice Rose Duncum was lost for words when her family, friends and the staff of Fairleads Retirement Home threw a surprise party for her 100th birthday, on September 14.
The pensioner hummed while the home’s staff members sang a number of jolly songs in honour of her big day.
“Thank you everyone for making the effort to come to my birthday party,” she said.
“Last year we organised a surprise birthday party for her, but she got such a fright, she didn’t know what was going on; I am so happy that she is taking everything in well now,” said a teary eyed Dawn Klein, her daughter.
“I think her secret to longevity is making people happy; she gives out so much love to everyone.”
Longevity runs in her family and all her family members died over the age of 70.
Duncum was born in the Free State, on a farm, and she and her late husband, Jack, met at a church picnic when they were 16.
“My mother fell into a hole and my father helped her out,” said Duncum.
The teenage sweethearts married in 1936.
Jack died at the age of 84, in 1998, two weeks before their 61st wedding anniversary.
Before the age of 93 Duncum spent most of her time baking, and she loved buying recipe books.
She lost her right eye at the age of 26, during an explosion.
According to Klein, her mother use to say that at least all she lost was an eye, because a number of people lost their lives and limbs.
With only one eye Duncum won the South African Bowling Champion Pairs.
According to Klein she loves nature, but most of all loves life.
“My mother is a people’s person; I remember when I was a child she would knock on our neighbours’ door and take them food,” she said.
“The one event that always comes to mind when I think of my mother is when she assisted our domestic worker to give birth to twins at home.”
Duncum moved from a retirement village in Bedfordview to Benoni, so she could be closer to her daughter.
She has one daughter (Klein), three grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and a great-great-grandchild.
