{"id":124758,"date":"2016-06-14T10:05:00","date_gmt":"2016-06-14T08:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/124758\/violet-reaches-a-century\/"},"modified":"2016-06-14T10:03:08","modified_gmt":"2016-06-14T08:03:08","slug":"violet-reaches-a-century","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/news-headlines\/2016\/06\/14\/violet-reaches-a-century\/","title":{"rendered":"Violet reaches a century"},"content":{"rendered":"

Protea Retirement Village\u2019s Violet Irene Whitbread celebrated her 100th birthday on June 6.<\/p>\n

The celebrations took place at the home, situated in Primrose.<\/p>

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\u201cStaff, residents, management and members of the board cleared their schedules to be part of the milestone celebration,\u201d said the nursing services manager at Protea Retirement Village, Liyana Grobler.<\/p>\n

Born in England, in 1916, Violet grew up in a village called Willingale.<\/p>

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Willingale is a village in the Epping Forest district of Essex.<\/p>\n

\u201cViolet found love and married Charles in 1937 and they had one son, Ian,\u201d said Grobler.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe couple moved to Cape Town in 1985 after they visited their son and his wife, Jeanine.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey liked what they saw and decided to relocate.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn 1993, the family relocated to Johannesburg.<\/p>\n

\u201cAmong other things, Violet was among those who worked in the fields, picking up cotton flowers during World War Two.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe worked as a teacher her whole life but took up a number of hobbies.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe took up art lessons, joined the paint and palette group and got involved with the knitting circle at the Edenvale Community Centre.<\/p>\n

\u201cGardening was also among her many hobbies, a person of many trades indeed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grobler also said that Violet lost her husband.<\/p>\n

\u201cViolet\u2019s husband died in 2005 at the age of 94,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cA year before her husband\u2019s death, Violet\u2019s sight took a turn for the worse and she became blind.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis, however, didn\u2019t discourage her as she continued knitting squares which her family and friends joined together to make a beautiful blanket.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe is a very talented and artistic woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

The charismatic 100-year-old had a special birthday wish.<\/p>\n

\u201cBritain\u2019s Queen Elizabeth II mailed Violet a letter wishing her a happy birthday,\u201d explained Grobler.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe letter reads: \u2018I am so pleased to know that you are celebrating your 100th birthday on June 6, 2016. I send my congratulations and best wishes to you on such a special occasion.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cShe, Violet, was humbled and moved by the letter and the party we planned for her.<\/p>\n

\u201cKarel Jankowitz, chairman of the Germiston Association for the Aged (GAFA) Board, also shared a few words at the party.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe is a phenomenal woman and we love her.\u201d<\/p>\n