Still healthy at 100
With the exception of athritis, Joan Hayter of Stilbaai, who celebrated her 100th birthday on 2 December, is still very healthy.
Johanna Nel Hayter was born on 2 December 1920 in Pretoria, weighing 3½ lbs at birth. She grew up on the farm Rietfontein in Potchefstroom and later moved to her grandparents’ farm Dublin, near Stella in the NorthWestern Cape.
In 1926 she started school at a convent in that area and was lifted to school on a bicycle by her aunt. She then attended the Klipdrift School on the Vereeniging road, then went on to Bergerwright School in Pretoria.
In 1939 she married Joseph Charles Millett-Clay. They had four children: June, Marian, Charles and Robert. They lived in Welkom in the Orange Free State where Joe worked on Western Holdings Gold Mine for many years. He passed away in 1973 and Joan later married
Fred Hayter, who passed away in 1987.
In 1995 Joan moved to Ridgeview Retirement Village in Benoni, Gauteng and spent 23 wonderful years there, her favourite hobby being knitting, which she still enjoys.
She lost her eldest daughter in 2011 to cancer.
Joan moved to Stillbay Carewell Centre in 2018 to be closer to her other daughter, Marian Mulligan.
“She doesn’t make use of a walking frame, but because she is afraid to fall, she clings to the railing in the hallways. She has no blood pressure problems and she still makes jokes,” said Marian.
Joan has 10 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren and three great great grandchildren. She walks very close to her Creator and gives him all the Glory.
Joan and the family give much praise and thanks to the staff and carers of the Carewell Centre for the wonderful way in which they care for her.