Latest update July 22nd, 2026 12:47 AM
Feb 17, 2026 News
(Kaieteur News) – Family, friends and residents of Lichfield, West Coast Berbice, gathered on Monday to celebrate Beatrice Elizabeth Johnson née Burnette, who turned 100 today, becoming Guyana’s latest known centenarian.
Born on February 16, 1926, in Lichfield, Johnson was raised as her mother’s only child but later shared a close bond with her foster sister, Morna, who remains one of her devoted caregivers alongside Alicia.
In her prime years, Johnson built a respectable seamstress and a beautician career. Burnette migrated to the United States but returned to the place of her birth subsequent to the passing of her husband. Burnette, fondly called ‘Cousin Vye’, gave birth to seven children, of which three are alive. She has been a loving stepmother to four. To date, she is grandmother to 18, and was privileged to witness further generations, with 44 great grandchildren and 12 great, great grandchildren. She is also said to be a relative of retired Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards.
Not inhibited by age, she is devoted to her faith as an active attendee of the St. Jude’s Anglican Church in Lichfield, where she serves in the women’s organisation and remains an avid reader of the Bible. “She was loved by many in the community because of her outgoing spirit. She is a God-fearing person. This woman is always a loving and caring person especially to her neighbours and those whoever she gets in contact with,” close family friend of the centenarian told this publication on Monday. She grapples with arthritis, which impedes her mobility and warrants her being supported by a walking aid. Notwithstanding, she remains an animated character, one who is loved by many.
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