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God, good food and family…100 years of sunshine for Eileen Bunbury
(Kaieteur News) – In the heart of Sparendam, East Coast Demerara ( ECD) lives a new centenarian, Eileen Bunbury, who has held God above everything, and whom she is confident is responsible for her reaching her ripe old age.
Eileen was born on January 6, 1926 in the very community she now lives. While over the years, she may have moved to different parts, she never stepped foot out the village.
She now lives in a home saturated with pure love. It was evident when Kaieteur News visited recently. She was surrounded by her children, grandchildren and great- grands, days after the entire community showered her with affection.
Ms. Eileen Bunbury and her nephew, 96-year-old Lionel Daniels.
“I feel proud of it. I never expected to meet so far. I am shocked over it. I am glad for the attention that was paid to me. Everybody throw in their lot and was there for me. They made me feel good, they made me feel happy,” she told this newspaper about reaching 100.
Just a baby when her father left her mother and two other siblings to venture into the interior, Ms. Bunbary said she never saw her father again until she was 36 years old. A month later he passed away. When she was in her teens, her mother gave birth to little sister Lucille.
Ms. Bunbury at 100.
Students of the nearby Plaisance Secondary school in attendance at Ms. Bunbury’s birthday celebration.
In 1949, at age 23 she married Cecil ‘Sunny’ Bunbury. Together, they produced 13 children, nine of who are still alive.
One of those children is her daughter Bernadette Bunbury who watched her mother toil as a “stay at home” mom, and who, even after Mr. Bunbury passed away in 1981, remained at home tending to poultry, cattle and other livestock , just to keep her family together.
Along with her 13 children, the centenarian has 24 grandchildren, 37 great-grands and five great, great-grands. Interestingly, she also has a 96-year- old nephew.
Now a shut-in, she is still a physical fireball with all her faculties in place, except for her vision, 96 percent of which has been lost only because of eye surgeries.
About her marriage to ‘Sunny,’ she said “ I had a good time with him. You know, sometimes you would get your talking and thing, but it didn’t separate us, we were together.
I did what I can. I tried to send my children to school, for them to take in something. They take it in. All my children them I tried with them.”
More celebrations for Ms. Bunbury’s 100th birthday.
Family members gather to celebrate Ms. Bunbury’s birthday.
A committed member of the Church of God in her village, Eileen was always present for every church activity.
Asked what she looks forward to in her 100th year, she noted, “God is in charged of everything. I’m satisfied with anything and everything. I put my life in God’s hand and let His will be done. Because He is God and He knows everything and I am satisfied because I am walking in His way, and whatever God does is well done.”
She said she loves to serve her God. “When there is prayer meeting I am there. Everything I am there. I teach my children the right way, I showed them God’s way.”
In honor of her milestone, Eileen had two grand celebrations. The first on Saturday, January 3, where family, friends and church members came together to celebrate her birthday. That experience was greatly appreciated by the centenarian.
Then, on January 6, her birthday, the community came out to honor her life as a staple in the village. There were performances by teachers and students from the secondary school nearby, as well as the Guyana Police Force’s Band and African drummers.
For the school, she was known to loan her plants for every activity over the years. The community also knew her for selling black pudding, channa and pone at the Plaisancemarket.
There’s no sign of Ms. Bunbury ever slowing down anytime soon. With her deep love for chicken-foot soup and metemgee, along with her close connection to her God, we hope to visit her again at 101.
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