A youthful spirit, dazzling smile and winning personality belie the fact that Ellen Euphuma Spencer, at 113 years old, is one of the world’s longest living citizens.

Her weather-beaten skin is the most evident sign of her age; she is almost blind and somewhat hard-of-hearing. Otherwise, this diminutive woman doesn’t show her age.

In fact, Ellie, as she is affectionately called by family and friends, is something of a talker, and a songbird. She has an impressive memory.

The journey to her home in Wilson’s Run, a tranquil and scenic farming district located in the hills of south Trelawny, is a cornucopia of rural Jamaica – donkeys with their colourful hampers laden with produce; the countryside is lush, and the air fresh.

The laughter of children penetrates the car, endorsing the innocence of the unspoiled land.

Ellie’s cosy home is painted pink and blue, the same hues as the house-dress she wears with her colourful head scarf as she settles on her verandah for the interview.

A permanent smile is etched across her face – suggestive of her enjoyment of life. Her facial expressions are as riveting as her frequent bursts of laughter.

And once she starts to talk, Ellie dominates the discussion.

“What is the secret to living so long? – God’s mercy,” Ellie says decisively, as if she expects everyone to know that.

She is relaxing on her verandah and several of her children and their spouses, huddling around her, echo her sentiment.

“Nothing but the blessings of God,” they say, almost in a chorus.

Ellie is very popular in her community and the interview quickly draws a crowd.

They have heard her story before, but they stay to hear her tell it again.

She was born on January 3, 1893, in the Manchester district called Mizpah, the fifth of nine children to Eliza Elleston and David Royal.

She got married in 1924 to James Emmanuel Spencer in Coleyville, Manchester. And the couple migrated to Trelawny eight years later, in 1932.

Ellie gave birth to 10 children – six boys and four girls – with two sons deceased, including her oldest child Clement Blake, who passed away when he was in his nineties.

The centenarian has 74 grandchildren, 100 great-grandchildren, and, by her son David Spencer’s estimate, about 20 great-great grandchildren.

David, who is 82 years old and runs his own grocery shop called ‘Spencer’s This & That’, speaks fondly of his mom and her parenting skills.

“She was strict, but compassionate,” he says, as he playfully strokes Ellie’s head.

He describes his childhood as being “rich in instruction”.

“One look and you know youself,” chimed in another son Edgar Spencer, eliciting an eruption of laughter and agreement from the family.

According to Ellie, she taught them to pay attention to small details, and molded them in the Christian faith.

“I learn (teach) them to do their night work, to tidy up the bathroom and lock the kitchen door. Everybody must find their own chapter and read and find a hymn,” she said wagging her fingers at them.

In her younger days, Ellie was an avid lover of maypole dancing. She also travelled 12 miles weekly to the market.

“When a not working, a stay at home and take in washing, and a do little baking like coconut drops, pudding and fried dumpling to help miself,” Ellie reminisces.

She confesses to missing those days.

But someone volunteers that, even now, no one can contain Ellie’s independent spirit. A domestic worker until she got married eight decades ago, she continues to insist on doing household chores.

“Up to this morning, she wanted to wash (but) I don’t allow her,” laughs Violet Stevens, her daughter.

The closeness of this family, and the love, are evident.

Ellie has nicknames for each of her children. David, for example, is ‘Massa D’. Hezekiah, her son-in-law, is ‘Dada’.

She sees it as her duty to watch over her young ones, and it is clear it gives her pleasure.

“When they not doing anything (chores), the girls have their little dollies making, and the boys do any little ting they want to do,” Ellie says relishing the presence of the children around her.

But back to what accounts for Ellie’s longevity – is it the food?

“I eat everything I can manage and go through, ” Ellie declares.

But: “I don’t like flour dumpling and cornmeal,” she says.

Quite the singer, even now, Ellie insists on demonstrating her prowess, belting out well-known hymns such as Praise Jesus. Her favourite song is Jesus Loves Me which she learnt as a child, and, steeped in her faith, she can recite all the books of the Bible, and name the central characters in all its well-known stories.

“A is for Adam, who was cast out of the garden of Eden; J is for Jonah who was swallowed by the whale.” she chuckles.

The children recall a happy childhood growing up in Trelawny. Their father James, a farmer, died in 1977 at age 77.

“It couldn’t be better. I never heard them quarrel,” said David of his parents and their relationship. His sister says she heard them bicker, but only once.

The youthful smile lights up Ellie’s face again when she is asked what it was like raising her children.

“I try everything to make them happy. They were a very obedient set of children. I learn (teach) them not to linger nowhere when I send them out and to say ‘please’ when they ask for anything and ‘thank you’ when they get it, and that’s the way they grow,” she said.

“On Saturdays, when a gone to market, if is me alone, when I come home, everyone do them work.”

Ellie taught Sunday School at the Headings Baptist Church for 36 years. Her children add that she was generally active in the community, undertaking such tasks as teaching children to read.

Today she is regarded as the ‘mother’ of Wilson’s Run.

As the interview ends, she shows one last glimpse of humour.

“Please tell everyone ‘hi’, even if I don’t know them,” said Ellie, with an impish grin, as she headed inside her house.

mcfarlaned@jamaicaobserver.com

Ellie’s 10 Children:

Clement Blake (deceased)

Louise Jenkins

Eric Ranglin (deceased)

David Spencer

Violet Stevens

Daisy Denton

Edgar Spencer

Blanche Spencer

Herbert Spencer

Desmond Spencer