Edith Henry celebrates 100 years of life

Carl Gilchrist, Gleaner Writer

Well over 200 family members, friends and well-wishers from across several generations joined Edith Henry of Content Gardens, St Ann, on Monday, July 4 to celebrate her 100th birthday.

The occasion, held on the beautiful lawns of Villa Viento in Tower Isle, St Mary, was a happy one, with her six children, countless number of grand, great-grand and great-great-grand-children, as well as friends with decades-old bond, sharing the occasion, several of them showering the goodly lady with praise.

"It's amazing," remarked 72-year-old Arthur Henry, her second son. "We've been celebrating since she turned 90, every year we're out and we have a party, this is the biggest one and she's in good shape!"

Good shape indeed. To this day, Miss Edith, as she is called in her community, goes to the supermarket every Friday, attend the Church of God of Prophecy Church in Buckfield on Sundays, and still does a little work at home.

"I feel good, I feel good, I'm not ashamed of my years of living," she told Outlook. "I have good health, no blood pressure problems, no 'sugar' (diabetes), nothing, now and then a little pain, but not much."

When one of her guests at the celebration told her she would live to see many more birthdays, she replied: "Yuh think so?" and let out a healthy laugh.

Good mother

Born in Panama to Jamaican parents, Miss Edith came to Jamaica at age nine (in 1920) and over the next several decades proceeded to live a rich, full life, later on raising her children with the warmth and care that only a good mother possesses.

Her father had left Jamaica to work on the Panama Canal, while her mother worked with the Americans as a domestic helper there.

As a young girl in Panama, Miss Edith never got the chance to see the Panama Canal. And chances are she won't.

"About three years ago, my daughter wanted to take me over there but I don't like the plane anymore,' Miss Edith confessed.

But there is one place she is still determined to go - on 'Hill and Gully Ride' on TVJ.

"I like to watch Hill an' Gully Ride," Miss Edith said. Asked if she had ever appeared on the programme she replied: "No, but I'm hoping to be."

But she has been to other places. Describing her chance to travel as one of the things she will always cherish, Miss Edith said she travelled to England, spending three months there. She also went to Canada. However, her greatest joy was when she went on a cruise for six days, stopping at the Cayman Islands, Cozumel and other locations.

"It was good!" she exclaimed.

Asked to what she would attribute her long and healthy life, Miss Edith didn't point to any specific reason.

She explained: "I don't know. My mother was 101 when she died 20-odd years ago, so I wonder if I'm coming off the family tree. But otherwise, I work very hard. I started work in my 20s, I got married when I was 25-26, I have my six children, I'm still in my church, I never come out of my church all these years."

As for her diet: "I eat everything, but I don't eat plenty of one thing. I eat chicken, fish, salt fish, mackerel; and I like soup, with chicken foot and chicken neck."

Longevity

Who knows, maybe her early upbringing might have contributed to her longevity. She came from a period when girls left school at 15 years old. She grew up under good parental care, her parents never allowing their children to "go up and down and go out as you like and do as you like; we had to obey".

"We were living in the country, there was no electric light, there was no running water, we had pit toilet, we couldn't go out at nights because it was dark; but when we do get a chance to go out we go with our parents and we were always under good parental supervision. And I grow that way. So I never find myself going on the loose side of life."

On Monday night, family member and master of ceremonies Robert Wilmott remarked: "This is a moment that has been 100 years in the making; today we are all Henrys and she's been a darn good parent to all of us."

Among the many tributes were a Nigerian tribute by Nigerian Simeon Shoge, who is married to Miss Edith's last child, Dr Ruth (Henry) Shoge; a candle ceremony courtesy of her great and great- great-grandchildren, along with several tributes in song.

In her reflections, after her wardrobe change to an African outfit and delivered standing at the head table with microphone in hand, Miss Edith told her guests how she raised her children well, ensuring that they had food to eat, a bed to sleep in, were kept clean and had to go to school.

"I am excited! God bless you all, thank you all for coming," she ended.

The blue-and-white themed event was complimented by fine fare from Sheila's Catering of Ocho Rios.

Finally, as if determined to be numbered among the modern trendsetters, Miss Edith has her 100th birthday celebrations on Facebook.