AT 105, ELEISE HORTENSE ROCK, familiarly known as Hortense, continues to savour life.
The retired seamstress, who was born and raised in Ellerton, St George, holds firm to her belief in God and, despite her advanced age, still sews her own clothes.
Last Tuesday as she prepared to celebrate her birthday on the Friday, Hortense said the blessing of the Lord helped her to live to see this special milestone.
She offered this advice to Barbadians: “These days is not like before days. Turn your heart to the Lord daily and He will be helpful to every situation.”
A devout Christian for the last 85 years, Hortense has played an integral role in the church and still attends Sunday morning worship.
She recalled that in former days the children had one suit of clothing which they wore all week and by Friday the clothes would be dirty, so she changed the Sunday school service day to Mondays.
There are some elderly people in their 80s and 90s who when they see Rock often remark that she taught them at Sunday school.
In fact, the men in the district held her in such high regard that when they saw her and her sisters walking to church when they were at the corner shop, they would hide the rum bottles or go inside where they could not be seen. The cursing and loud talk would also stop while there would be pleasant and respectful greetings.
Being a Sunday school teacher substituted for her dream of being a schoolteacher. 
The former St Luke’s Girls’ School student said she learnt well and sometimes even the young teachers used to ask her for help. However, her problem was getting to school late, for which she got lashes.
Hortense recalled that even though she was a diligent student, at age 14 she could not pursue secondary school education since her mother could not afford it, given that they were nine other siblings.
She settled for the life of a seamstress, and, using skills she developed from young, immersed herself in knitting, crochet, embroidery, cross-stitching, and making paper flowers. She and her sisters Muriel, Odessa and Winifred unselfishly shared their skills in their community.
Hortense, who still has a treadle machine along withan electric one, said that her skills allowed her to be a member of the Women’s Self Help store in Bridgetown which retailed her work.
She made garments for many people, including the wives of plantation owners and managers.
For those people in her district who could not afford to pay she would tell them to buy the material and she would make clothes for the children free. For her nieces and nephews, she went out of way to ensure that they were properly outfitted, especially for special church occasions.
Hortense, who in 2013 received an award from the Ministry of Social Care for her community work in St George, is still very independent and in good physical and mental health.
She lives alone and can still do most things on her own, but has a caretaker who sleeps in with her at night. However, relatives have tried to limit what they let her do, so someone prepares her meals, while she takes her own showers, dresses herself, and makes her own bed.
A nephew, David, helps take care of Hortense and she spends part of every day at his house.
Hortense refuses to walk with a cane, because she believes it would make her too dependent. She no longer reads the newspaper but keeps up to date on the news, and reads her Bible daily.
Longevity runs in the family. She has a brother at the Geriatric Hospital who is 94 years old, a sister who died at 88, and nephews Emille Rock and David King, who are 77 and 80, respectively.
Hortense, who never married and has no children, recalled that when she was a little older than ten years, a lady from St Vincent told her that she would never marry. Hortense had a habit of shaking her foot and, noticing that, the woman said she would shake off every man that approached her. Hortense conceded that it must have been a fact.
Discipline has been a hallmark of Hortense’s life, so much so that she attended church come rain or shine. On the occasions when the rain was heavy and consistent and no car was available, church was held at home.
Dedication was also shown to the church choir, in which Hortense, one of the most memorable harmonious altos, was assistant director. (LK)
