…‘Cousin Iris’ wants to live a few more years

IRIS Estella Martin-John was born January 14, 1917 and decided to usher in her 100th

birthday with a grand celebration at her Beterverwagting (BV), East Coast Demerara home with family and friends.

Also joining the celebration was Minister Amna Ally, who made the event her first official duty as the new Minister of Social Protection. Iris or ‘Cousin Iris’ as she is fondly called by all ages, recollected that she grew up in #10 Village on the West Coast of Berbice before moving to BV, where she still resides after she got married.
She remembered that she attended the Beterverwagting Primary School at age 16. Cousin Iris noted that had loved Arithmetic and a little English, but unfortunately left school shortly after her favourite teacher resigned.

In her younger years, she recalled that she loved , but said that now she doesn’t do that as much anymore. She also recalled being fond of the domestic work she did. The centenarian highlighted too that she loves eating rice.
“How I love eating rice,” she said and added, “I could eat rice with anything… with plantain, with potato or with some provision.”

Despite not having her own children, Iris said that she raised her husband’s children like her own. She remembered always encouraging them to go to school and to church.
One man she raised as her own, Felix Nestor, who also addresses her as his mother,says that he is the eldest of her three children.
“She is the best person you would want to live with.”
Felix said that Iris raised him from the tender age of five.

“She was fair…She always treated us fairly.” He also recalled that she was very religious and encouraged him and his two brothers to attend almost all the church services.
He said her willpower and the will of God are the main contributing factors to her long life, but attributed that it could be her genes since many of her close family members were well aged.
Iris, though busy with her birthday celebrations, sought to encourage all about the importance of education.

“Sit down in school and learn more,” she urged and added, “stick to your religion too.” She also said that while she does not know the secret to long life, she wants to live for just a few more years.
Iris joked that she was overwhelmed with her birthday celebrations, but she would gladly give a more detailed account of her 100 years of life some other day.

Meanwhile at the birthday celebrations, Minister Ally said, “I feel humbled.” The minister also recollected that she grew up with the centenarian in a neighbouring village in Region Five and hopes that she would be able to “take a leaf out of Aunt Iris’s book”, to age to 100 years and to do so in good health.
As the Minister of Social Protection, she mentioned that it is now her duty to ensure that all citizens — even senior citizens — are taken care of and she intends to do this to the best of her ability.