Her recipe for living a long life is simple — you must love men and try not to stress.<\/p>\n
The GCN visited Millicent Lousia Marais at her Parkhill Gardens home on the eve of her 105th birthday.<\/p>
Full of humour and good fun, Millicent gave us a look into her life, which she described as happy and fulfilling.<\/p>\n
Born on March 19, 1909, in East London, Millicent grew up on a farm and spent a happy childhood there.<\/p>
“It was wonderful,” she said.<\/p>\n
An avid equestrian and horse lover, Millicent told us how she used to ride her horse to school and to the shops.<\/p>\n
“My special horse ‘Hannes my Perd’, was a pretty brown colour,” she recalled.<\/p>\n
“When I came out of the house and started walking towards the stables, he would know it was me and would neigh a greeting.<\/p>\n
“One day I had to go and do the shopping, so I set off on my horse carrying my list.<\/p>\n
“When I had everything I needed, I tried to mount to go home, but I had too many things and, try as I might, I couldn’t get onto my horse.<\/p>\n
“Luckily a young man passing by, who knew me, saw my predicament and gave me a leg-up, parcels and all,” she said.<\/p>\n
Millicent recounted her love of climbing and getting into mischief.<\/p>\n
“I wasn’t afraid to use my fists either, against my brothers or the local boys,” she said.<\/p>\n
“I was brave enough to do most things, except swim – I never got the hang of that.”<\/p>\n
Millicent came from a family of 12 children and said she had to spend a lot of her time helping her mother to look after babies, as well as helping with her grandmother.<\/p>\n
“It was funny, whenever something went wrong I was blamed, but whenever someone needed something to be done, I was the first person they called,” Millicent said.<\/p>\n
She also described herself as “a proper nosey-parker”.<\/p>\n
“One day I saw the people at the farm across the road were having some sort of party – I went across and shouted ‘what’s going on here?’ – I got a piece of cake for my cheekiness,” she laughed.<\/p>\n
After Millicent finished school, her family relocated to Port Elizabeth and she started working at Edworks, as a skiver (a person who thins leather).<\/p>\n
This is where she met her husband, Andrew, who was working at the same company as a clicker (a person who cuts out new shoes).<\/p>\n
The pair married in 1925, in the Baptist Church, in Port Elizabeth.<\/p>\n
Shortly after their marriage they moved to Johannesburg and lived in various parts of the city over the years.<\/p>\n
Millicent and her daughter, Shirley (58), have been living in Germiston for the past seven years.<\/p>\n
Andrew and Millicent had 14 children and Millicent stayed at home to take care of them.<\/p>\n
They are: Madge Vaggini (died at 82); John (died at 80), Rita Stopford (died at 78); Lorraine de Paiva (died at 80); Yvonne Lantiri (78); Stan (73); Jean (died at 68); twins Lynette McNamee (died at 65) and Lynelle Pretorius (69); Jennifer Vermaak (died at 50); Eleanor Whystock (62); Robert (62); Kenneth (died at 43) and Shirley (58).<\/p>\n
She boasts 45 grandchildren, 94 great-grandchildren, 53 great-great-grandchildren, four great-great-great-grandchildren and one great-great-great-great-grandchild.<\/p>\n
Andrew loved to play rugby and Millicent always went along to support him.<\/p>\n
“I enjoyed it very much,” she said.<\/p>\n
Andrew died in 1964 and, although Millicent has a great love for men, she never remarried.<\/p>\n
For her 100th birthday she went on a helicopter ride.<\/p>\n
“It was very exciting and I could see the world from a different view,” she said.<\/p>\n
“I especially liked the pilot, Brad Kinsey.”<\/p>\n
Millicent has a great love for gardening and enjoys reading and crossword puzzles.<\/p>\n
“I believe you mustn’t worry about things and take life as it comes,” she said.<\/p>\n
On her birthday, Shirley took her out for the day and the family has planned a special party for her at a venue in Aloe Ridge. Millicent said that she is a healthy 105-year-old and her health only sometimes “acts up”, when she knows there are things to be done.<\/p>\n
“After they are done, I suddenly start feeling better,” she said.<\/p>\n
“I am looking forward to more years.”<\/p>\n