Ex-Warner Beach teacher, Yoly Gardner celebrated her 90th birthday at Lord and Legends on Saturday, 5 July.
Yoly was blessed to be surrounded by her four children, David Crew Guilford, Patricia, Eric and Jackey, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
“It was wonderful, everything seemed to go right,” she said. “I enjoyed it very much. Family came from East London and it was lovely to have them there. I was glad they were here to celebrate with us.”
Yoly was born in Louis Trichardt in 1924 and grew up in Warmbaths.
She met Jack Gardner in the Western Area on the mines in Johannesburg and got married in 1946.
She taught at Umbogintwini Primary and Warner Beach Junior Primary schools for many years, after moving to Toti on New Year’s Day in 1950.
She was also department head for a few years at Warner Beach Junior Primary until retirement, and wrote the school song and many of the school plays.
“I always wanted to teach and we used to play-act we were teachers when we were young,” said the birthday girl, who often recognises her old pupils around Toti and in the newspapers.