She lived a life many can only dream about, instilling lessons in anyone who encountered her with her wise words, and now ouma Sarah Schroeder is safe in the arms of God, who she could not wait to meet.
Ma Schroeder lived until the beautiful age of 105, outliving most of her 10 children.
She passed away peacefully in her Ravensmead home surrounded by her loved ones last Saturday. Her granddaughter Candes Mocke, 38, describes her ouma as a gem in a million.
An emotional Candes says: “Up until her last, she smiled up until the moment she closed her eyes, she looked so peaceful. That’s just who she was, a natural beauty who never even dyed her hair once.”
Candes says three weeks before her grandma’s passing, she had lost her voice.
She says: “For those three weeks she hung on, she didn’t want to let go until her lastborn girl made peace with her leaving earth, even though she prepared everyone and let us know before that she was ready to meet Jesus.
“What was so amazing is on the day she passed away, she called my name thrice, she had her voice back. Something just told me to call my mom and tell her that it’s time, then she held onto my mom and they spent a few minutes together before she closed her eyes.”
Candes also shared her ouma’s secret weapon, saying: “Honour your parents, love them with all that you have and you will have long life, this is something she would constantly say over again.”