Julia Kester’s family celebrated her 95th birthday with her on Sunday September 6.
Ms Kester, of Crawford, grew up in Woodstock and attended St Mark’s Primary School and Central High School but left school early. She was a seamstress at a clothing factory in Cape Town and was 18 when she met her future husband, Albert, whose family was holidaying at the same time as hers.
The couple married four years later at the St Marks Church in Athlone. They had five girls and a boy.
Ms Kester now has seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
In 2006 her husband died of a heart attack at the age of 81.
Ms Kester’s daughter, Cynthia Jacobs, said her mom’s mind was still sharp but she needed assistance walking.
Ms Kester loves listening to the radio and enjoys reading her Bible and magazines and doing word searches. She was also a member of the Belgravia Happy Hour Seniors Club and part of the St Marks Church’s prayer group.
“My mom always liked nice things and made sure that she always looked smart,” Ms Jacobs said. “She was admired by her attire whenever she went to church and always wore a hat to match her outfit, which many complimented her for. She was and is a people’s person. She loved knitting and anyone who had a baby would get a knitted outfit for their baby from her.”
Ms Kester said she was grateful for all that her children did for her.