No stopping Euphemia Parlane at 101 years old
Published:Saturday | April 26, 2014 | 12:00 AM
Keisha Hill, Gleaner Writer
It is not typical for someone in the latter stages of his life to be able to still accomplish all that Euphemia Parlane continues to do on a daily basis. At 101 years old, her strength and agility beguile her age.
The centurion, who resides in the rural community of Joint Wood, Maggoty, in St Elizabeth, makes her own bed, takes her bath, combs her hair, and is even a chef in the kitchen.
Parlane was born in Niagra, St James, in 1912, and moved to Joint Wood 25 years later. She is the mother of 12 children, seven of whom are still alive and live in proximity to her.
She attributes her longevity to the natural foods and home grown seasoning that she ate in her younger days. "I had a lot of callalloo and cabbage and drank a lot of goat belly, and gungo and pepper pot soup," Parlane said.
"We used natural seasoning like scallion, garlic, and thyme. We did not know onions and the seasoning that they are making today. The food made us strong and healthy. We ate 'common' fowl meat and goat tripe," Parlane added.
Her memory also begets her age as she vividly remembers when as a child she would go around to the four butchers in the community and collect goat meat. "I used to carry the goat belly on my head, and my mother used to clean it up and cook it with 'Injun Scale'and boil it into a soup," Parlane said.
During her early years, Parlane said it was economically hard for herself and her family. She attended school briefly, and for most of her life, she was involved in farming. "I used to buy yam and walk from Niagra to Catadupa. The money I made from it, I would buy bread from the bakery and sell to the farmers. When I came to Joint Wood, my husband used to make brooms and sell them," Parlane said.
During those days, Parlane said they used natural remedies for illnesses. She was known as a herbalist, and persons from far and wide would visit her to get remedies for their ailments. "I would boil roots. I would chip the mango bark and use the wild mint and sarsaparilla and briyal root for tonic," Parlane said.
Parlane is also a strong believer in God and was known as a revivalist. She still continues to serve God and thanks Him for her continued health and strength.