103-y-o Nellie Pennycooke thanks God for long, healthy life

Reaching 103 years of life is a rare milestone that Nellie Pennycooke never thought she would have achieved, especially after the loss of her husband when she was just 44 years old.

The retired postmistress and mother of seven children, one of which predeceased her, was grateful on Wednesday (October 7) when she opened her eyes to see another birthday.

She praises God for granting her the gift of a long, healthy life.

“Apart from the ache and pain, mi no feel no way. Mi just can’t believe it. I feel just ordinary,” she said, showing off her sharp memory by reciting her husband’s lot number and burial order number from 60 years ago.

Mrs Pennycooke was speaking to JIS News, during a special visit by Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon Pearnel Charles Jr, at her home in Old Harbour, St Catherine, to mark her birthday.

The Minister’s visit culminated activities for Senior Citizens Month, which was celebrated nationally from September 1 to October 8.

He brought her several gifts, including a book entitled ‘A Century of Jamaican Stories’ where she is featured along with several other Jamaican centenarians.

A project of the African Caribbean Institute of Jamaica/Jamaica Memory Bank (ACIJ/JMB) in partnership with the National Council for Senior Citizens and the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the publication chronicles Jamaica's cultural, social, and literary evolution over 100 years through the first-hand accounts of the nation's centenarians.

Minister Charles Jr. thanked Mrs. Pennycooke for her public service as a postmistress and for being a strong mother who cared for her seven children after the death of her husband.

“You’re an inspiration to be here in body, in mind and good spirit,” he said.

He noted that Pennycooke, like other centenarians he has met, has a strong belief in God.

“So, the message is very clear. Long life is connected to a life of Christ and in Christ. There is also another thing, peace and happiness. Persons living longer have found a way to have their own peace, even when there is chaos. All centenarians are laughing, and that’s another thing,” he said.

On hand for the occasion were family members, including daughters Joan Pennycooke-Perry, June Hornette and Judith Saunders.

Mrs. Pennycooke-Perry is grateful that her mother is still alive and healthy today having survived a heart attack in 2006 at age 83.

“November 6, 2006, about 3:00 am, I only heard my name being called, and by the time I moved to her room, I saw her falling to the ground. It took me less than half an hour to reach the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) from Old Harbour. By the time we got to the hospital, she was navy blue,” she recounted, noting that the doctors were able to revive her.

She survived, celebrating her 100th birthday 17 years later in in 2023.

“At the start of 2023, every day I got nervous. Every day I was praying, ‘Lord, another day, another day’ and prayed that it happened. The night before, you would have believed it was New Year’s Eve, because all the grandchildren were here with one big excitement and [noise makers] when it struck midnight. We were all excited for her reaching 100,” Mrs. Pennycooke-Perry said.

The family is looking forward to the 105-year celebration in 2028. “If the Lord grants it, there will be an even larger birthday celebration,” she said.

“At this point, she is in perfect health. Perfect health,” she noted.

Pennycooke was born on October 7, 1923 in Negril, Westmoreland, to parents Nathaniel and Bernice Samuels. She credits the abundance of fish she ate in the seaside town for her long life.

She is the eldest of eight children and was affectionately called “Pearl” as a child.

She left school as a teenager to help care for her younger siblings and learned sewing from an aunt. She later joined the postal service in Hanover at age 19, before meeting her husband, Frederick Pennycooke, a police officer. Together, they had seven children – June, Judith, Johnet, Jerome, Jennifer, Josette and Joan.

The family moved across Jamaica as her husband was transferred to different police divisions and stations. Following his death in 1969, she returned to the postal services and was transferred to Old Harbour Bay in 1971 where she worked until her retirement in 1983 at age 60.

At age 100, she received a national honour for meritorious service.

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