AT 100 years old Etta Williamson lives an active lifestyle, chartering taxis and making solo trips to Linstead Market in St Catherine every Friday.

Born in the Dunkeld district of Troja, St Catherine, on May 13, 1925, she shared that she grew up on a farm there with her brother, grandmother, mother, three aunts, and three uncles before moving to Wallens in Linstead. Her father passed before she was born. According to the centenarian, her background makes her an expert at selecting produce — an activity she enjoys.

“I shop, I don’t buy,” said Williamson. “Young people don’t shop, they buy.

“They come and they see the things here, and they want it. They don’t care how much they buy, they don’t wait to see if they can get it a little cheaper. But I shop, I compare prices…I go up the road and come back, and I know which one to buy from,” she told the
Jamaica Observer.

“Is country I come from, so I know which one is good,” she added, laughing.

Williamson said she also cooks for herself and does her own laundry, only relying on her grandchildren, who take care of her, to do the heavy lifting.

“You don’t need no machine to wash a dress [you wore] for one day. If I wear it for one day, I wash them,” she said as she shared her preference for the traditional ways.

The 100-year-old said she also loves to read and enjoys embroidery, a skill she learned from her mother who was a dressmaker. In fact, she used to sell her embroidered pieces but now she makes them for family members and friends.

When asked how she manages to maintain such an active lifestyle at 100 years old, she attributes her health to God, her love for fruits and vegetables, and the long walks she often took in her youth.

Williamson shared that she had many career paths, including nursing and garment production, before she settled on teaching. After she graduated from Mico University College with her teaching certificates, she said she got a job teaching at a school that was seven miles from her home.

“When I started, we didn’t have taxis and things like that so I chartered somebody. But when I got my first pay, I couldn’t take that man again so I walked the seven miles in the morning and in the evening, and I’m there quite early,” she said proudly.

The centenarian said while teaching was not her initial choice, she is grateful for the impact she has had on young lives during her more than a decade of service.

“I love helping children and other people in order to achieve something in life,” she told the
Sunday Observer.

“I got one child, she was supposed to be a grade three student, and when she went to school the grade three teacher sent her to the infant department. I took her on, and in three months she was able to go back to her class,” she recounted, smiling.

“I took her to my table, and there I helped her. I later realised that neither her mother nor father could read so they didn’t know what she was doing — whether she was doing well or not,” she shared, adding that the young girl’s transformation is one of her proudest achievements.

Williamson said she has two children, Cleon Johnson and Delroy Myrie, who she grew to value education and God. She has seven grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. She was also married to Richard Williamson, who is now deceased.

As she reflected on the 100 years she praised God for keeping her through it all.

“It’s good to be 100 years old because God has kept me. He has kept me all along and strengthened me so that I live to see this age — and I am thankful to Him for it,” said Williamson.

She said her 100th birthday celebration was an emotional and joyous event that took her by surprise.

“They said they are taking me out to drive me around Linstead. When I reached, my great-grandson came and took me by the hand and said, ‘Come grandma,’ I said, ‘Where me going?’ and him say, ‘In there so.’ I said, ‘Weh me ago in there so for?’ and he said, ‘You will see,’ ” she recalled.

Williamson said she was escorted through a room filled with relatives and friends who all cheered her on. She sat in a chair at the front of the room with a crown on her head.

“When I saw the amount of people there, I was shocked because I didn’t know anything about it. They never said a word, but it was good. I enjoyed the entire thing. I was just thinking about my son, my grandchildren and so forth, and saying we would just have something small — that was my plan — but when I made the suggestion they said they weren’t ready yet. But that time they had their big plan and I didn’t know anything about it,” she said, laughing.

“People from Canada and friends that I know, my sister-in-law was there, and her sister and other church friends. They were there and I was surprised to see them because I didn’t know anything. When it was time for me to talk, I didn’t do much because of the joy and excitement of it. I [knew I] would cry so I just cut it short,” she said.

The eldest member of her family, she again expressed thanks to God for all He has done.

“I’m really feeling good that God has been so good to me and he has kept me until this time; I’m not in bed. There is one lady that is a little ahead of me but from she was 60 years old, she’s sick. They have to do everything for her and now she walks with the walker, and I walk from here to all around there, and walk go down to Time and Patience [Primary] School to get a taxi,” she said, expressing thanks.

Brenda Hall, Williamson’s sister-in-law who flew to Jamaica for the celebration, said she could not miss the occasion.

“She’s a remarkable woman. We appreciate her long life. We appreciate her wisdom, her counsel, and her love,” said Hall.

She was joined by her sister, Joan Henry, who said Williamson has always been kind to their family.

“We had good times together whenever we meet so I was more than overjoyed at being able to be at her celebration and see so many persons that came to wish her well. We know that God is on her side and He is the one that has been keeping her,” said Henry.

Williamson’s granddaughter, Judeian Myrie, was all smiles as she spoke about the love she has for the centenarian.

“From I was small she was always there for me. I was the daughter she didn’t have — because I was the first granddaughter — so every dress she had, I had a dress like it,” she said, smiling.

Williamson, having been on Earth for 100 years, had two messages for Jamaica’s youth.

“All they have to do is to try to give their life to the Lord and let Him direct [them] and to live good. Try to have a skill [so that] you can work to support yourselves, instead of depending on things that are not right,” she encouraged.

Family members and friends gather to celebrate Etta Williamson’s 100th birthday. x

Etta Williamson (centre) and her great-grandson Calan Brown (right) walk through a crowd of relatives and friends who surprised her for her 100th birthday celebration.

Centenarian Etta Williamson speaks about her weekly trips to Linstead market in St Catherine during a visit to her home in Wallens last Wednesday.Photo: Naphtali Junior

Etta Williamson (centre) is surrounded by family members and friends (from left) Calvert Brown, granddaughter Judeian Myrie, sister-in-law Brenda Hall, and family friend Joan Henry. Photo: Naphtali Junior

Etta Williamson displays an embroidered piece that she recently made. Photo: Naphtali Junior