W. J. (Willie) van der Merwe retired in 1983 due to increasing ill health.
His personality, his integrity, his gift for inspiring enthusiasm, his discipline, wisdom, insight and clarity of thought contributed to his powerful leadership.

“I found it impossible to continue alone and also retired.
When one has been pulling a wagon as a pair for almost 50 years, there is neither the incentive nor the strength to do it alone.
One needs the wind beneath one's wings."
Cecily Norden
W. J. Van der Merwe died in Middelburg in 1995, with Cecily Norden at his side.

In 2009 Cecily Norden lives in Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape, with her family, and has recently celebrated her 90th birthday.
She writes every day, focussing mainly on fiction and children's books for her ever-increasing number of great-grandchildren.

In December 2010, at the age of 92, Cecily Norden had THE BAREFOOT DAYS, a book of short stories about life and growing up in the Karoo, published privately.
It has gone into its second print.
W. J. (Willie) van der Merwe retired in 1983 due to increasing ill health. His personality, his integrity, his gift for inspiring enthusiasm, his discipline, wisdom, insight and clarity of thought contributed to his powerful leadership.
“I found it impossible to continue alone and also retired. When one has been pulling a wagon as a pair for almost 50 years, there is neither the incentive nor the strength to do it alone. One needs the wind beneath one's wings." Cecily Norden
W. J. Van der Merwe died in Middelburg in 1995, with Cecily Norden at his side.
In 2009 Cecily Norden lives in Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape, with her family, and has recently celebrated her 90th birthday. She writes every day, focussing mainly on fiction and children's books for her ever-increasing number of great-grandchildren.
In December 2010, at the age of 92, Cecily Norden had THE BAREFOOT DAYS, a book of short stories about life and growing up in the Karoo, published privately. It has gone into its second print.
Cecily Norden