Supercentenarian Eilene Meta Walkes is shouting praises to the Lord for granting her the opportunity to celebrate 107 years of life today.
As she quietly marked the milestone with her children at her St Andrew home, the elderly woman who gave birth to 12, thanked the Lord for her many blessings.
“And I beg you dear Lord for help, strength, wisdom, peace, and safety,” Walkes said.
“Thank you dear Lord for what you have done and what you are still about to do. Thank you dear Lord for saving me, shield me, protect me. Amen,” she added.
Seven of the supercentenarian’s children are still alive, ranging between ages 61 to 82. According to family members, she has many grand-, great-grand, and great-great grand children, some of whom she is yet to meet, while others have passed away.
Her daughter Asenath Walkes, who is also her caregiver, said her mother who spends most of her days sleeping, watching television and talking in between, is doing well.
Walkes was raised in the Anglican Church, where she enjoyed attending Sunday school, which gave her the opportunity to learn how to read, write and do arithmetic.
In 1923, she had to work as a child labourer on Parks Plantation and was not allowed to attend school.
Later in her young life, at age 19, she met her husband Edmund Walkes, who was 33 at the time, and they got married in 1933, at the St Andrew Parish Church, a union which produced all 12 children.
Walkes’ children shared that she has always been an anchor in the family, and was always there to give guidance, encouragement and to discipline anyone who misbehaved. They recalled that she would never hesitate to share licks, or as she would say, ‘cut your behind’.
She spent her adult life working as a hawker at the Alleyne School, where she sold fruits, nuts, candy, and sugar cakes. Her children said she was not only a vendor but a motherly figure as well for many students. She never allowed students to go hungry, and often fed them without asking for anything in return. On weekends, she would sell at the playing field on East Coast Road, where cricket teams played several matches.
Her children reminisced that cricket was Walkes’ favourite sport and because of her excitement and love for the game, she was soon given the title of the “unofficial umpire”. They said at this age, she can still be heard speaking about the game.
Mary Walkes noted that her mother taught her all she knows about cricket, while Cynthia Cumberbatch recalled that the former vendor would reward the players for their good performance with items from her tray.
“They called her the unofficial umpire because before the West Indies had the third umpire they could have checked she and she would get some good money you know,” Mary said.
In the early 70’s she was converted to the Seventh Day Adventist faith.
Walkes is featured in the 2016 commemorative stamp issue, ‘Centenarians of Barbados’. (AH)
