If you want to live to see your 100th birthday, you must work hard, praise God, eat ground provisions and try your best to live honestly.
This advice came from Barbados’ latest centenarian Millicent Gertude Williams as she spoke to the WEEKEND NATION yesterday at her Rockhampton Road, Grazettes, home, where she celebrated the milestone with a visit from Governor General Sir Elliott Belgrave and family members.
In a message aimed at young people, she said: “Wake up and work hard. Get up and go and work. Too much of them walking ‘bout and stealing, telling lies and doing bad things”.
Dressed in a long two-piece blue frock, Williams – who has nine children, 27 grandchildren, 29 great-grands and four great-great grands – said that she prayed night and day leading to her special anniversary.
“I am happy and so glad. I just got the lil problem with the arthritis and the knees and a lil hearing problem but when you get to this age something got to worry you.”
Williams who cooked, cleaned and worked in a factory amongst other jobs to earn a living, boasted about how much she loved ground provisions.
“I eat a lot of ground food. I love ground food. I don’t like rice,” she said.
Her daughter Maureen Jordan said that her mother “was a very strict person who give us a lot of licks but it came off good”.
Jordan said that her mother was very active and needed limited assistance.
“She goes around to the supermarket and cook for herself because she doesn’t like anybody cook for her.” (AH)
