Mary Williams celebrates her century

Mary Williams, of Claremont, celebrated her 100th birthday earlier this month at St Bernard’s Catholic Church in Newlands.

Ms Williams, who attributes her long life to her faith and her hard-work ethic, was born in Athlone on January 5, 1924, the daughter of James and Sophia Williams and the youngest of their eight children.

At the age of 17, she started working at the Brampton Surgery in Claremont. She stayed there for 46 years and was permitted to live on the premises. “I was a jack of all trades there. I did cleaning, worked at reception and made food,” she said.

Ms Williams never married and she has outlived all her siblings, but she found a sense of community as a member of the St Ignatius Catholic Church in Claremont and, later, at the St Bernard’s Catholic Church in Newlands. In her younger years, she enjoyed dancing and making flower arrangements for the church, but these days, she mostly relaxes by listening to the radio or attending church socials.

John and Ruth Southgate, of Mitchell’s Plain, have known Ms Williams for more than 50 years as she was initially friends with Ms Southgate’s grandmother.

“We would always call her and see if we can invite her over to our place for Christmas and Easter celebrations,” said Mr Southgate.

About 60 people attended Ms Williams’s 100th birthday celebration at the St Bernard’s Catholic Church hall on Saturday January 6.

The church’s priest, Father Mark Pothier, said: “Mary blessed the church for many years, and she was very active in the church’s fund-raising when she was younger.”