By Michel Outridge

Joseph Greenville is a resident of Belladrum, West Coast Berbice and he is one of the nicest people you will ever meet.

At 93 years old he can still give an accurate account of his family history and all that is happening around him.

He is regarded as an elder and a role model in his village, a son of the soil to whom everyone looks for advice or for even a pep talk.

Greenville still does his own gardening, all household chores and still has the time to do his own plumbing, painting and mason work around the house.

When the Pepperpot Magazine visited Belladrum, everyone directed the team to “Uncle Greenville,” stating that he knows a lot about the village and life.

So the team visited Greenville and he was more than pleased to take the time to have a chat.

He related that he had resided at Lot 18 Bent Street, Georgetown with his family as a boy; his father was a policeman and he had eight siblings, one of whom has since passed away.

Greenville added that in 1941 his father retired from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and they moved away from the city and settled in Belladrum when he was eight years old.

He recalled his father did quite a bit of farming and they had reaped a healthy crop of tomatoes on August 12, 1942; he was tasked with putting the box of tomatoes on the train which was heading to the city.

“I remembered the train was in motion and I trying to put the box of tomatoes in the train and I fell between the rails (platform) and could not move as such, my left hand was crushed and I was in the hospital for some time, but I never shed a tear,” he said.

The father of nine stated that life in Belladrum is very good for him because he is not lazy so he isn’t complaining about anything.

“I do my farming and I sell my vegetables within this village and I am doing well because I have the support of the people here,” he said.

In Greenville’s yard there are a lot of plants, fruit trees are bountiful and in the back yard he has his farm and he has the company of his granddaughter, since his children reside overseas and his wife died a few years ago.

“My mother used to say one thing, don’t let the sun rise and you are still in bed, and that was my motto and it served me well, because I wake up at 4am every morning and do my chores and farming,” he said.

The senior citizen disclosed that he sold his cattle some time ago because it was getting to be too much for him, even though he joked that help is too slow for him and he never found the need for a prosthetic hand.

He recalled when back in the days he used oxen to plough the fields for farming and talked about how much he enjoyed utilising the land to make a living.

Even at his age, he attends the Anglican Church in the village every Sunday and if invited to any youth meeting, he would show up to talk to the young people. He is also a political activist and is very good at public speaking.

Greenville said he was schooled at the Anglican Church, which is still standing and school services are held there to date. It is located in the Belladrum Primary School compound.

This elder had the company of President David Granger at his 90th birth anniversary celebration, which was held at his home and had the pleasure of meeting and interacting with many past presidents of Guyana.

“My life is good because I make it that way, but I miss my wife, Euna Christina, who passed away 11 years ago because she was my queen and my company,” he said.