By Free Republic | Created at 2024-09-28 00:36:19 | Updated at 2024-09-30 13:21:21
2 days ago
'World's oldest person' celebrates her '118th birthday' surrounded by family at South African care home
Daily Mail UK ^ | September 27, 2024 | James Reynolds
Posted on 09/27/2024 5:29:18 PM PDT by Morgana
A South African woman celebrated her '118th birthday' today as one of the oldest people in the world with a small party at her care home.
Margaret Maritz joined other residents, carers and two of her daughters for celebrations at the home in Touws River, 110 miles northeast of Cape Town.
She was born on September 27, 1906, according to a copy of her identity card.
The document has not been independently verified but if confirmed would make Maritz the world's oldest living person.
The current record-holder is Japanese national Tomiko Itooka who was born on May 23, 1908.
Alongside two of her 14 children, Maritz blew out a candle on a large pink birthday cake at the party in the small town of Touws River.
'She talks about her life as a young woman, (saying) you must respect your mother and your father,' a senior nurse at the home, Gregory Elroy Adams, told AFP.
'She didn't drink, she didn't smoke.'
'We must be grateful,' said one of her daughters, Liza Daniels, 67.
'I don't know if I will reach that age one day.
'But for me it's a very, very big privilege to have a mother that reaches this age.'
Mrs Martiz, known affectionately as 'Ouma Honderd' (Grandma Hundred), reportedly cannot recall some of her earlier memories as she has mild dementia.
Michael Fortuin, the manager of her care home, said her wider family are planning to visit her on Sunday.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
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Thank you very much and God bless you.
Think of all she's seen and done
Happy Birthday Margaret
I hope you live to see 119
1 posted on 09/27/2024 5:29:18 PM PDT by Morgana
To: Morgana
Born less than 3 years after the Wright Brothers first flight.
2 posted on 09/27/2024 5:32:55 PM PDT by EvilCapitalist (Pets are no substitute for children)
To: Morgana
If one of her daughters is 67, she had her at around age 50.
3 posted on 09/27/2024 5:33:57 PM PDT by Ben Dover (Terrorism is a cancer that can only be cured with massive doses of radiation.)
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