THOUGH a full year has passed, it seems much shorter as the Guyana Chronicle stops by for a chat with a very special lady, who is gracing these pages again.
Today we are delighted to report that Agnes McLean, born Agnes Dey on November 25, 1911, is now an impressive 101 years old.

Not much has changed, her spacious house is still decorated with many personal touches, such as family mementos, photographs and books.
A beautiful painting of her son, Norman McLean, which shows him in full military garb wearing his medals still hangs in exactly the same place.
Like her surroundings, Agnes has not changed much; still vibrant, elegant and just as witty and charming as ever. She is reclining in her bedroom which leads to a spacious verandah and a pleasant view of manicured greenery. Attired in a comfortable duster (light loose fitting house coat), Agnes still takes considerable pride in her appearance, sporting long manicured nails with pink polish and lightweight gold jewellery.
Agnes was born in a home delivery to a 17-year-old-girl, at Lot 77 Hadfield, Street, Stabroek. An only child, she and her mother moved to Alexander Street where her mother raised her as a single parent for a long time before, eventually, getting married to a gold miner.
She received her education at St. Philip’s Anglican School which is still standing at Smyth Street and at St. Joseph Intermediate, which used to be on Regent Street, also in Georgetown. Afterwards, she embarked on a career as a nurse/midwife at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) before moving on to become District Health Visitor ( nurse who visits rural areas), a job she enjoyed immensely. In that position, she often delivered persons in their homes as she herself had been delivered. Sadly, her mom died of peritonitis only four months away from turning forty.
TWO CHILDREN
She continued her work even after getting married to George Edgar McLean (Eddy McLean), an engineer who resided on Brickdam, not far from where she used to attend the Brickdam Cathedral. She bore two children, Norman McClean, known for his distinction in the uniformed services (Police, National Service and Guyana Defence Force) and Gloria McGregor who resides in Florida.
Agnes proudly recalls that she made more money than her husband, a significant accomplishment as, in those days, women working outside the home was not as common as it is now. She remarked: “When he saw how much money I was getting, he couldn’t stop me. I was getting more than him!”
Her daughter, Gloria who I remember very well for being teased good-naturedly by her mother on her visit last year, is not here this time.
The secret of her longevity as related by Agnes last year, is her lifestyle. According to her, she worked hard, ate good food, has a positive attitude, rarely drank and never smoked. Agnes is in excellent health, climbs the stairs unaided, can carry on a conversation without a hearing aid and even read without her glasses, thanks to successful eye surgery a decade ago.
These days, Agnes doesn’t get out of her home much but is enjoying her favourite things, among which are OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) shows, ice cream, cookies and, in general, life’s simple pleasures which many persons can’t or don’t take the time to enjoy.
Agnes, who says she “can’t complain”, welcomes visitors and will tell you about her mother who was a nice “sapodilla brown” and her days as a District Health Visitor. HAPPY BIRTHDAY AGNES!