Almost 100 and still active

Dave Lindo, Gleaner Writer

CONTENT, Manchester:

ICYLDA SHARPE will be celebrating her 100th birthday on August 21, 2013, and she is very excited about reaching that remarkable milestone.

Miss Icylda, at 99 years old, is full of life and bursting with energy, which many persons may deem unbelievable for her age.

She lives alone at her house in Content district, Manchester, a stone's throw away from the Kirkvine Aluminum Bauxite Company. She cooks for herself, cleans, and does other chores around the house. She is able to strike up a hearty conversation, whether person to person or on the phone, and reads well without the aid of glasses.

When Rural Express visited Miss Icylda recently, she had just finished having her breakfast. "I just had my ackee and salt fish since morning," she said with a smile. "I woke up early and cook my breakfast, which I had with my coffee, if you please."

Miss Icylda was born in the hills of Nepierston, Manchester, where she grew up with her mother and five sisters, four of whom have since passed. "I was born August 21, 1913. I attended Bellefield (Elementary) School," she said proudly. "My mother was poor so I didn't go to school more than so. My mother was Grace Disney. Her grandfather was from England. That's where the name Disney is from."

Miss Icylda was married three times and has two daughters, one of whom is living in Jamaica and the other lives overseas.

The Church has always been an integral part of Miss Icylda's life and she has been a well-loved member of the Kendal Shiloah Apostolic Church for over 60 years.

The soon-to-be centenarian, up to recent times, had a passion for climbing trees, which she has stopped doing after being warned by friends and family.

When asked about this she burst into laughter and said, "Who fass in mi business, now? Who tell you that? I love climb trees. When you go up in the tree and the breeze blow, you just feel cool. They tell me not to do it anymore, so I stop now."

Favourite things

Another of Miss Icylda's favourite things was riding bicycles. She said: "I owned two bicycles. My first bicycle was a second-hand one. I used to ride it all over until I got good on riding it. After that I sold it and bought a brand-new one."

Miss Icylda added: "I used to ride my bicycle in my 50s and 60s to church, all from Content to Pear Tree and back. Sometimes I would tow my church brethren on the bicycle."

She also recalls walking from Content to Alligator Pond to church. "Those days, it was like nothing. It's like you going up to Mandeville nearby," she said.

For Miss Icylda's 100th-birthday celebration, her church is planning something special for her.

As she explained, "Nobody not telling me anything. They say it's going to be a big splash. My granddaughter and her son coming. I am really looking forward to that."