South Africa’s oldest man, Oom Fredie Blom, has said his final goodbyes at the record-breaking age of 116.
Oom Blom, as he was fondly known, passed away peacefully on Saturday morning.
The famous Delft centenarian had been bedridden for the past two weeks, and last week his wife and friends said had been lying motionless in his bed after he stopped eating a week prior.
Oom Blom was admitted to Tygerberg Hospital on Friday evening and passed away on Saturday at 6am in hospital.
He was alone, due to Covid-19 regulations, but he tested negative for the deadly virus.
Oom Blom celebrated his milestone 116th birthday on 8 May.
He had no children and leaves behind his wife of 50 years, Janetta, aged 87.
She tells the Daily Voice her husband’s advanced age had finally caught up with him and that he had even told her that he was “ready to go”.
He was also hospitalised in July, for one day, after having breathing problems.
Fredie was born in Adelaide in the Eastern Cape in 1904, and worked as a gardener until the ripe age of 106, when he still chopped wood in the bush.
Yesterday, a hartseer Janetta said she is happy for the legacy her husband leaves behind.
“As everyone knows by now, Oom Blom survived the 1918 Spanish flu, two World Wars and the Coronavirus,” she said.
“He passed away due to natural causes and old age.
“Oupa was ready to go a long time now, he was just waiting for God to come fetch him.
“He grew impatient in July, and I told him God will fetch him when it’s the right time.”
The widow says Oom Blom’s death has left a huge void in her life and heart: “Nobody can really explain the feeling of losing someone after being together for 50 years.
“I feel sad because I know he won’t come back again. I will miss him dearly, he was my everything.
“Oupa was just the most amazing person in my life, I will cling to the memories.”
Janetta added they would only start making funeral arrangements today.
Oom Blom was probably the oldest man in the world.
Despite his legal identity document, the keepers at the Guinness Book of Records felt he didn’t have sufficient papers to prove his age.
Japan’s Masazo Nonaka, who is two years younger, is registered as the oldest man.