Cape Town - Nora De Kock could possibly be the oldest living woman in Cape Town. Today she celebrates her 111th birthday with 20 of her closest friends.
De Kock, who is still able to walk, cook and clean, dressed up for the celebrations today at Kuilsriver Hall.
The party was arranged by humanitarians, Carol and Stanley Van Wyk, who have dedicated their lives to helping those in need.
While running a soup kitchen where they feed hundreds of destitute people in Kalkfontein, the couple made the time to give De Kock a birthday breakfast.
De Kock suffered a stroke 20 years ago and buried her only brother, Hannes, eight years ago.
She was born on May 12, 1910 on a small farm in Paarl.
When De Kock was first introduced to the media, she lived on her own at the ripe age of 104 and would even walk to church.
Today she still continues to clean and cook despite her hearing and speech being a bit problematic.
She has now been forced to stay at home for church services due to Covid-19 regulations and receives communion at home from the church congregation.
De Kock, who is God fearing, has always said honouring her mother and father, has blessed her with longevity.
De Kock got a huge surprise this morning when staff at Kuilsriver Shoprite sang “Happy Birthday,” to her and presented her with a birthday cake.
When asked how she felt, she replied, she was her old self, who still had energy to cook and clean: “I am doing well.
“I am still able to do my own tasks inside the house.”
She added that she felt blessed to reach the ripe age of 111: “God gives this grace and because I honoured my mother and father.
“I just want to say thank you to everyone.”
Carol said they were excited to host the party for Nora and are sticking to strict Covid-19 regulations.
“Aunty Nora has invited 20 people of her choice and we kept it small because of Covid-19 and because they are the elderly,” she added.
“Her cake is being sponsored by Shoprite and they also contributed to the food.
“I have baked muffins and scones and provided snacks for the table.
“I run a soup kitchen which comes out of my pocket.”
De Kock has outlived Fredie Blom of Delft, who died at the age of 116 in August 2020 of natural causes.
Blom was born in Adelaide in the Eastern Cape and worked as a gardener and did not have any children of his own and had, according to himself, survived the first pandemic, which hit South Africa in 1918, the Spanish Flu when he was just 14.
The Guinness world Records have never verified whether Fredie was one of the oldest living people in the world.
Violet Brown, a Jamaican, died at age 117 in September 2017.
Weekend Argus