Described as the glue that keeps her family together, a Retreat ouma celebrated a milestone when she turned 100 years old.
Margaret Madelene Paulsen, better known as “Maai” to her family, turned 100 on Monday, 20 May.
On Saturday, her family and friends came together to give her a bash to remember.
The well-known ouma was born in 1924 in Krige, a small town in the Overberg District Municipality.
She then moved to Cape Town where she has been living for the past 60 years.
Margaret, the youngest of five children, was raised in Third Avenue, Retreat, where she later met and married widower Joseph Paulsen in 1954.
She helped raise his three daughters. Joseph passed away in 1988.
Margaret worked as a house help for a family in Claremont Upper until she retired at the ripe old age of 80.
Up till then, she would on most days walk to Retreat Station to take a train to Claremont.
The ouma was showered with love and wishes at her special birthday celebration on Saturday.
Margaret currently lives with her only living daughter, Johanna Paulsen, who turns 80 later this year.
She has 10 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.
Tayla Seale, her great-granddaughter, describes her ouma as someone with a big heart who loves them unconditionally.
“She loves you like beyond, she can skel with you now but later she will call you again.
“She’s not on any medication besides arthritis, she doesn't even use specs. She is still up and about. She is very well known and people still bring her stuff to nibble,” says Tayla.
Asked how she feels about turning 100 years old, Margaret said she was “still feeling the same” and advised the younger generation to put their trust in God.
“I still feel the same. Trust in the Lord and do hard work, don’t drink and smoke,” she cautioned.
Tayla says she feels blessed to still have her ouma-grootjie around.
“We are blessed, I don’t have a grandmother and my mommy doesn’t have her mother, so Maai fills in those gaps and she spoils my son, and everyone, too much.”