The word that I hear most people use when they referred to our Mum, was inspirational and she truly was that, although first and foremost she was our Mum. She was a person who taught us about honesty, integrity, never to judge and mostly about never holding a grudge.

 

She decided from a very young age that she wanted to be a farmer and in fact won many prizes for the cattle she showed. There was an article write up about her in the local Nelspruit newspaper calling her "Little Miss Sunshine" when at the age of 19 she was leaving the Nelspruit region to go and farm in England. Her greatest joy in life, career wise, was having been a dairy farmer, although she also loved her time as a nurse. She did a lot of really good work with Red Cross and was extremely proud of the gold medals she won whilst volunteering for them. To add another interesting layer to her career she spent many years working as a private investigator and so I learnt from an early age never to give anything away when asked questions. She was a hard working woman, who really didn't have two pennies at the end of each month, but again, she taught us about the act of giving even when it meant going without for yourself. We used to host orphans over holidays or have some elderly people over to share our Christmas meal. Mum would always find a way to stretch her Rands just that little bit further to help someone in need.

She had an uncanny gift with animals and was inspired by nature. Ever since she retired 17 years ago, I felt that she has grasped at every opportunity that came her way to embrace meeting people and getting involved in her local communities. The last 4 years, (having moved to Marloth Park), were some of her best. . The move to Marloth Park revitalised her in so many ways as she had a great sense of achievement and pride being asked to be an honorary ranger, being a committee member of the Marlothi Conservancy, and of course the welcoming friends she found in Marloth Park. She was very involved in the eradication of alien plants in Marloth, right up to her passing away at the age of 82. Thank you to all of those that contributed to her happiness over the past 4 years.

We are going to miss this little 5.1" lady that stood 10 foot tall in our lives. The important thing  we have learnt from her is to stop at that little flower you see from your car window because when you stop, not only do you see that one flower, you see 10 other beautiful ones that would have been missed. Stop to listen to a river babbling. Walk amongst the fields. Be at one with nature. Take time to appreciate the beauty around you, no matter how small it may be.

We want to thank her and for her unconditional love for us and for the incredible memories.