Centenarian celebrates continued life

Rachael “Edith” James Lloyd is poised to be one of the island’s oldest residents who has lived beyond  100  years.
On Sunday, the Freetown woman who now resides at Sunvail Nursing Home in Cassada Gardens, celebrated her 101st birthday at her daughter’s Lightfoot Estate home.
“Her long-term memory is good, she recalls names of people whom she knew from her young age,” Erma Lloyd said of her mother.
Erma recalled her mother as a devout Anglican, who attended the St. Phillips Anglican Church up until she was about 98 years old.
Governor General, Sir Rodney Williams, met with the family and friends on Sunday.
“On both occasions, we were very lucky to have the governor general visit with her. We didn’t realise that the governor general visited with them every year after they’d attained 100 years,” the daughter told OBSERVER media.
Lloyd said that her mother is not the only one to live a long life in the family; her grandmother, who was Mary’s mother, Ann Elizabeth Jarvis, reached 96-years-old in 1984 before she passed away.
James-Lloyd bore three children, Genevieve Lloyd ­Lake in England, Yvette Lloyd Henry and Erma Lloyd.
The centenarian is not a picky eater, according to her daughter.
“When you get to that stage you don’t usually want much; she eats just enough to keep her alive.”
The centenarian is not very mobile and lost her sight two years ago.