After spending her youth as a plantation labourer and later as a hawker in the heart of Bridgetown, the newest centenarian, Iola Ianthe Ermintrude Henry, celebrated her special birthday in the comfort and support of her close family she fed and raised.
From Trio Path, St. Andrew to Cane Garden in St. Thomas, and now Gall Hill, St. John, Henry lived a long fruitful life according to her granddaughter Alivia Henry-Roger. Henry started from humble beginnings and worked in a variety of places.
“She did a lot; she was mainly a labourer [who] worked at the plantation at Springfield, and then she used to work at Parks and Beaches, which is now NCC (National Conservation Commission) and after that, she moved on to being a vendor in town. At first, she was by James Street, then by Buyrite, and the last place was City Mall,” she explained.
Henry-Rogers said her grandmother was very fond of church and often sang in the choir, even in later years.
When asked what activities she enjoyed while growing up and through her adult life, Henry-Rogers said her gran really enjoyed pork and rum but also had a liking towards raising livestock.
“Up to when she left St. Andrew, she was raising pigs and cows up till like 90 years old, walking up the hills in St. Andrew and back down. Catching the bus with a bag full of feed, and a basket on her head, I always wondered how her neck felt, but she was strong,” she added.
Though she is not as physically active as she once was, Iola Henry still remains very aware and talkative to those around her, and happily remembered that Friday was her big milestone.
The mother of four children, 12 grandchildren, and 17 great-grandchildren, spent the rest of her special day having lunch with most of her family, with the other members calling her on zoom to wish her the best and give thanks for her long life. (SB)
