Celebrating Maria Taljaard's 100th birthday: A journey of faith and family

Surrounded by care staff and family, Maria Taljaard celebrated her 100th birthday at PlumRus Frail Care in Plumstead on Monday, September 1.

Born in 1925 on the East Rand, Ms Taljaard was one of 13 children and later raised her own family in Bethal, Mpumalanga. She moved to Cape Town in 2010 at the age of 85, living in Meadowridge before moving to PlumRus in 2021.

Her son, Jan Taljaard Junior, said she had worked as an administrative assistant before becoming a housewife. She married Jan Taljaard Senior in the early 1960s and remained with him until he died in 1999. She had two daughters from an earlier marriage; her first husband died in an accident. Ms Taljaard has seven grandchildren

He said books and words have always been a great source of joy for her. She loved reading and crossword puzzles, and even in her nineties, she never missed her daily newspaper, right up until 2019. “I probably grew up in the CNA (stationery and book store),” he said, recalling how his mother could spend hours choosing books and magazines. 

“She didn’t teach us with words, but by example - showing us the joy of reading and learning about the world,” said Mr Taljaard Junior.

Her son said she had also been committed to her church throughout her life.

Although she now lives with dementia, he said that her health was otherwise strong. "Her blood pressure is better than mine."