The community of Haslington, on the East Coast Demerara, welcomed its first centenarian when Beatrice Inez Thomas celebrated her 100th birthday on Tuesday.
Thomas, who is fondly known as ‘Aunty Inez,’ lives with her granddaughter Valerie Peterkin Haynes. She also has five grand-children, 13 great-grand-children and 20 great-great-grandchildren. She had one daughter who is now deceased.
Born and raised at Enmore, Thomas subsequently moved with her family in 1964 to Haslington, where she has spent the rest of her years. She was employed as a domestic worker at the Enmore Sugar Estate until she retired.
Peterkin-Haynes described her grandmother as a woman with tremendous faith in God. She said the most important lesson that she has taught her is to hold on to God. She also said the centenarian is loving, caring and very helpful.
Thomas lost her sight to cataract and glaucoma but she was able to move around on her own until February this year, when she suffered a stroke. The stroke left her unable to speak though she is slowly regaining her speech.
Her diet consists of light foods such as porridge, soups and crushed ground provisions, but she loves ice cream and she asked her granddaughter to make cook-up rice on her birthday. Her cousin Brenda Morrison would bring ice cream for her regularly and as soon as she arrives at the house, Thomas would ask for the treat.
Haslington celebrated Thomas’s milestone birthday with a church service and a community breakfast earlier in the day. The street leading to her home was also decorated to mark the occasion.
