Hermione Eileen Parris, a resident of Moore’s Land, St John, celebrated her 108th birthday on 29 December. She is currently the oldest (known) resident of Barbados. Her birthday was first reported by the Barbados Today.
She celebrated this milestone with many neighbors, relatives, and friends. A special service was held at her home by the Tichbourne Apostolic Faith Church. During the event, she urged parents to instill religious values in their children as a solution to the rising youth violence, emphasizing the importance of morals and respect for others. “If you take God’s word out of the children, what are you going to expect? … So parents have to help the children and lead them right. These days are far different to the days that gone by,” she told Barbados Today.
In her younger years, she worked as a needleworker and labored in the canefields. In her adult life, she worked as a laborer at Poole Plantation, earning 36 cents a day. She and her husband, Richard Parris, who passed away in 2007 at the age of 92, had seven children, three of whom are now deceased. They were married for 68 years.
Church has always been a central part of her life. She shared that since 1996, she had been traveling to St. Vincent as a missionary. At the age of 100, she was still actively involved in this work and planned to continue as long as she was able. At that time, she attended church every Sunday morning and evening at the Tichbourne Apostolic Faith Church. Her favorite Bible verse, from Psalms 107:1, is: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
The featured image, sourced from Barbados Today, shows Parris with her daughter, Wendy Reid (right), and grandchildren, Tanya Reid (second left) and Junior Howell (left).
LongeviQuest extends warm congratulations to Hermione Parris on her 108th birthday.
