PINETOWN Nursing Home resident, Ann Pistorius celebrated her 100th birthday surrounded by family and friends.
Ann was born on 7 January 1917 in The Strand, Western Cape, the second youngest of seven children and the sole survivor.
As a young woman during the Great Depression, Ann had to seek employment and worked in a shirt manufacturing factory that supplied the military.
“It was during this time that she developed her skills and love for sewing. She married her first husband at the age of 17 and her first born son, Reginald Solomon, who is 82, still lives in Cape Town.
”Ann divorced her first husband and shortly thereafter married George van Reenen, whose wife had passed away.
“George had three children from his first marriage and together Ann and George had three sons, Phillip, Paul and Pieter,” said Ann’s son, Piet.
WATCH: Ann (100) sing along one of her favourite songs with her granddaughter, Janine Price.
George passed away in 1978 and Ann married her third husband, Carl Pistorius at the age of 71, who later died from cancer.
In 2007 at the age of 90, Ann moved from Gauteng to Pinetown Nursing Home.
Although her eyesight and hearing is deteriorating, she is still mobile and every Friday afternoon she can be seen at Knowles in Pinetown, one of her favourite eating places, having lunch with her son, Pieter.
Ann contributes her longevity to never drinking or smoking. As a young girl, she devoted her life to Christianity and her church community.
“Her passion in life was sewing and she had a great gift of hospitality, of serving not only her family and friends but the community as well,” said Pieter
Her three sons, Phillip van Reenen (72) and Paul van Reenen (67) both live in Gauteng while Piet van Reenen (62) lives in Durban.
Ann has 14 grandchildren, 27 great grandchildren and six great, great grandchildren. Most of her family managed to attend the celebration of her milestone birthday with her.
