Latest update March 21st, 2025 5:03 AM
Linden resident is 103
The Bible prescribes that one’s days are three score and ten but Ms. Agnes Beatrice Benjamin, aka Miss Aggie, has lived past that and is still counting.
Ms. Agnes Beatrice Benjamin, aka Miss Aggie
Ms. Aggie was born on May 30, 1912 at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, to Albert and Albertha Kingston. She is the second of six children— five girls and one boy. She moved to Linden at age eight and attended the Christianburg Primary School until she was 14 then moved back to East Bank Essequibo to attend Philadelphia School.
After graduating from the Carnegie School of Home Economics some time later, she met and married Joseph Benjamin, a native of Grenada, on May 12, 1937 and relocated to Linden once again.
No children were born out of the union but the couple lived happily. They operated their shop ‘Aggie’s Diner and Variety Shop’ in Silver City, Wismar, Linden. When her husband died she carried on the business until she was forced to close when she lost her sight.
Ms. Aggie is now residing at 976 Wisroc with Sandra Thomas, her late husband’s great niece. Ms. Aggie had cared for her since she was a child. She also has one surviving sister who is 92 years old and who also resides in Wisroc.
Linden’s oldest is Mama Gathie who is 104 years old. Like the older woman, Ms. Aggie spent the day with the priest and members of her church, Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church, on Saturday. A mass was said and a get together held in the church hall in her honour.
Father Renelo Resco said since he knew Sister Aggie, as he calls her, she has been dedicated to her church. She is a loving and caring person, he added.
When asked about the secret to her longevity, she said, “The most important thing is peace of mind and that comes from your relationship with God which is the most important ingredient of life.”
One member of the church said she admires her dedication to the church and even at this age she has a good memory which was also mentioned by another member who jokingly said he wished he could transfer her brains to his.
Former Chief Executive Officer of the Linden Hospital Complex and coordinator of the St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church Committee, said that he considers Ms. Aggie a national treasure.
“She is a national treasure because of lot of events and memories that transpired in our communities are within her. So we must treasure our elders because of their wisdom.
“I believe it is history and I thank God for allowing you to live this long.”
At this point Ms. Aggie asked that they come a little closer for her to hear what they were saying about her and she was anxious to speak but was told that she would after the ‘sticking’ of the cake.
But being determined, she said, “Thank the Lord for my life and I thank all who have planned this and made it a success for me, may God richly bless all of you and may your coffers always be filled. Amen.”
Ms. Aggie sang along and clapped her hands as she asked a member of the church to play his guitar and sing her favourite hymns ‘The light of the world is J-E-S-U-S’ and ‘Thank you Lord for this day’ .
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