WORK HARD and stop the violence is the advice Barbados’ latest centenarian Martha Reid has for the island’s youth.
Reid, a former cook, who worked for $5 a week in her productive days, celebrated her 100th birthday yesterday. Amongst her family and friends in her Wildey, St Michael home, the jovial, sometimes moody, granny – who always managed successfully her “ups and downs” – said she was “feeling well, but the foot got me”.
According to loved ones, the mother of two and grandmother of four who has a “very good memory is not as strong as she used to be, but she can still take a bath on her own”.
Very kind woman
Outside her advice to the youth, Martha spoke on dieting.
“I like potato, yam, breadfruit, and eddoes” – all which have helped her to reach her milestone.
The centenarian’s only living sibling Lilly Reid described her sister as a “very kind person” who helped others in whatever way she could.
The 96-year-old Lilly added: “But don’t trouble she, cause she would tek off she shoe and beat you. My two children use to stop at she, and when she tell them don’t come outside, they couldn’t come outside. she didn’t used to mek no sport.”
Martha Goodin, Reid’s god-daughter, also shared her thoughts on her godmother who has played an integral part in her life, for as long as she could remember.
“My mother went to England when I was young and I was raised by my grandmother who was my godmother’s very best friend.
“I remember the days when she [Martha] used to come from St James to the Bay Land to gather up our dirty clothes to take back on her head to St James.”
(AH)
