Floffie Louise Russell, affectionately called Aunt Floss.

BENSONTON, St Ann:

There are so many special things about Aunt Floss, born, Floffie Louise Whyte. For one, she celebrates two birthdays in August each year. And this year she got a congratulatory message from Queen Elizabeth II of England on the occasion of her 100th birthday.

The message in the postcard, which had a portrait of the Queen on the front, reads: "I am so pleased to know that you are celebrating your 100th birthday on 27th August, 2009. I send my congratulations and best wishes to you on such a special occasion." And it was signed "Elizabeth".

A congratulatory message had earlier come from Governor General Sir Patrick Allen.

In explaining her 'two birthdays', one of her relatives, Lydia Richards, said: "This is the day they have on her birth certificate (August 27) even though her real birthday is August 8."

On August 8, her granddaughter, Joan Russell, had held a big birthday party for her at the Ferncourt High School auditorium, in Claremont, where Aunt Floss worked for a number of years, with over 200 people paying respects.

Second birthday cake

Then, last Thursday, there was a smaller celebration put on by South East St Ann Member of Parliament Lisa Hanna, at the Bensonton Methodist Church, with just a handful of relatives and close friends in attendance. And for the second time in less than three weeks, Aunt Floss cut her 100th birthday cake.

After cutting the cake and sharing it with all who were present, and indulging in some of it herself, Aunt Floss spoke with The Gleaner.

To the woman who was born and has lived all her life in Bensonton, southeast St Ann, the date on her birth certificate doesn't really matter - she is a centenarian anyway you choose to look at it.

But looking at her, a devoted Christian who has been a member of the Bensonton Methodist Church for 87 years, she looked decades shy of the 100 years that she has lived.

This she puts it down to her living a "normal life".

"I think I try to live a normal life. You know young people, many of them live night life, they don't get enough rest and so on, I don't indulge in all those things, I try to live a normal life."

She said after the death of her husband in 1960, she mainly attended church and did community work to occupy her time.

Married At 18

At the age of 18 years, Aunt Floss got married to Sidney Russell and they spent the next 33 years together.

She still recalls their early years: "The teenage life was alright. I lived with my parents until I was 18; I got married and my husband treat me nice and you know ... just nice, you know, just nice (laughs)."

Her humour continued when she was asked why she got married at such an early age.

"Mi nah tell you why. Those days parents had to sign the paper; Mi naw tell yuh fi put it pon di air."

Her husband was a member of the choir and a tailor by profession.

After getting the blessings of the parents from both sides the couple got married in 1927. The union produced three children.

"After he died I felt very lonely, especially on Sunday evenings," Russell recalled.

But she kept herself occupied with her work in the church where she found solace in fellowship with her brethren. In fact, some of her happiest memories were of moments spent with her church brothers and sisters.

But the dullest time of her life was when she worked for a year and a term at Clarendon College as house mother and assistant matron. "I never get to go to church; I couldn't stay there, I cried all the time," she said.

However, she was to return there later to spend another 11 years working.

Now, after living for 100 years Aunt Floss says she has no regrets. Well, almost.

"Regrets? No, I'm just thankful for everything, but sometimes I wonder if I could have done more. And sometimes, as human beings all over I say - but why did I do such a good deed for such a person and now that I'm old they ignore me? But I look into it the other way to say people whom I haven't done anything for, they take good care of me and respect me.

Aunt Floss is well loved and respected in Bensonton and surrounding communities. And she loves the district and wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

Big impression

"I was born here, and I grew here, and I married here and I teach here and after my husband died I went out to work at three places and I came back here, and I live here among my people. I always love my district and my people."

Richards, who is also councillor for the Bensonton division, said Aunt Floss has made a big impression on the community and on her as a person.

"I am worker and I know she was a worker. My life story is kind of mimicking her, I work very hard and when I'm doing anything I see that it is done properly, I am a strict person, those sort of things I draw from her."