Celebrating 106 years of Ma Griet Messelaar: A Griqua matriarch's legacy

Griquatown, Northern Cape – The Messelaar family, together with the Griqua Royal House, recently celebrated the 106th birthday of Ma Griet Messelaar, born on January 1, 1920. She is the last surviving sibling and the second eldest of seven children born to Paul and Betty Visser.

Ma Griet married Isak Babetjie Messelaar from Campbell in 1950 and has since built a remarkable family: nine children, 21 grandchildren, 64 great-grandchildren, and six great-great-grandchildren. Captain Aaron Messelaar, senior member of the Griqua Royal House and author of several Griqua cultural books, highlighted his mother’s influence on his life.

“She raised me according to the culture and customs of the Griqua people,” he said. “Apart from being a mother and matriarch, Ma Griet was a master seamstress. Sewing was more than a skill — it was her passion and hobby. She taught many Griqua women the art of sewing bedspreads, darning stockings, mending clothing, passing on practical knowledge that sustained families and preserved dignity.

"Through this work, she quietly empowered women and strengthened community bonds.”

A life of resilience and tradition

Aaron Messelaar also praised his mother’s role in preserving Griqua culture. “Despite her advanced age, Ma Griet remains remarkably resilient. At 106, she is mobile and does not suffer from chronic illnesses, apart from arthritis and the dementia that has gradually taken hold in recent years. She is independent and grateful for this strength.

She recalls that her grandmother also lived to 106 but could no longer walk. Ma Griet attributes much of her longevity to her faith and her belief in traditional herbal remedies.”

Currently, Ma Griet lives with her daughter-in-law, Roseline Messelaar, in Elsies River, following the death of her daughter last year. She has outlived her husband, who passed in 1971, and three of her children, who died between 2006 and 2021.

“They were laid to rest with honour in the sacred family acre of the Messelaar lineage at Onder Campbell, upon the ancestral land of their forefathers, a place bound to memory, heritage, and tradition,” Aaron said. “Through all these trials, she remained steadfast, becoming a pillar of strength and wisdom for her family.”

Faith, service, and legacy

Pastor Abi Messelaar reflected on the family’s gratitude: “We are deeply blessed to still have our mother with us — alive, present, and strong at 106. Ma Griet’s life stands as a living archive of faith, resilience, cultural knowledge, and service — an inspiration to her descendants, the Griqua nation, and the broader South African community.”

Family members shared their personal joy in celebrating Ma Griet. Johannes Messelaar is already looking forward to her 107th birthday, while Jacobus Messelaar described holding his mother’s hand as “a privilege beyond words — a sacred honour earned through a lifetime of love, sacrifice, and grace.”