‘Paper lady’ turns 100 years old!

Sep 11, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – Ismay Younge, known as ‘Paper Lady’, is Guyana’s newest centenarian. Younge, a former newspaper vendor from Charlestown, Georgetown celebrated her special day on 10^th September.

Guyana’s newest centenarian: Ismay Younge known as ‘Paper Lady’

She was born on 10^th September in the year 1922. According to her grand-daughter, Joyce Allicock, Ms. Younge worked hard to provide for her family. She said that she sold newspapers in front of her home at Russell Street, Charlestown; she sold three daily publications, including Kaieteur News on a regular basis.

Allicock said her hardworking grandmother was a paper lady for 50 years. She only stopped selling papers two years ago, at the age of 98 years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The centenarian is a mother of five, three of whom are deceased. The woman, who is said to be quite active for her age, also has quite a few grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren too. In addition to surviving four generations, Ms. Younge is described as “very independent minded.”

For her age, the centenarian has essentially no health complaints. Her granddaughter told this newspaper that “her grandmother has no diabetes or no blood pressure problems; we take her to the doctor for regular checkups.”

Interestingly, Allicock said that her grandmother does not exhibit any loss of hearing or vision. “She doesn’t even need glasses to read but her memory is going slowly,” Allicock stated.

The granddaughter revealed too that Ms. Younge eats basically everything.

“Her diet isn’t special; she eat what we eat and when I ask her what’s her secret to long life all she does is smile,” the granddaughter said.

According to her, “Granny Ismay is loving, jovial, sassy, and quick-witted.” Allicock added, “She is still active and can do many things on her own.

She bathes herself, dresses on her own, feeds herself, she moves around the house and even stays at home alone…In her spare time, she plays card game –patience.”

For her 100^th birthday, Kaieteur News understands that the family had a grand celebration in Linden, where Ms. Younge currently stays with her relatives.

And even as she passed another milestone, Allicock expressed best wishes to her grandmother, on behalf of the entire family, including her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. “We want to wish her all the best for the remainder of days as she continues her journey through life,” she said.