Drusilla Browne was born in Indian Ground, St. Peter, but currently resides at 4th Avenue Rock Dundo, St. James.
Educated at Indian Ground School, in the same parish, Drusilla worked as a labourer cutting and loading canes at various plantations – Sedge Pond, St. Andrew; Bakers, St. Peter; and Westmorland, St. James – and for other private plantations.
She recounted her early days working on the plantation: “I dig cane hole, I cut canes, I weed grass and I do some of every kind of thing. God bring me this far to live to this age and I am giving him thanks and praise for keeping me. I was working from one plantation to the next [because] when you are not working at one you can transfer to the next and I thank God for bringing me through those days until now.”
Drusilla was married to Charles Browne, who is now deceased, for more than 66 years. The couple had four children. They also had 21 grandchildren, 31 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
Drusilla has a strong belief in God, and worshipped at Christian Mission, Mount Zion’s Missions in Rock Dundo and the New Testament Church of God, Sion Hill.
Her son, Hugh Browne, described her as a no-nonsense strict disciplinarian. “Life was very tough. People feel that licks does kill you, but it makes you be a man or a woman. When it comes to taking out the sheep and bring water you have to do that. The standpipe was a distance and you had to bring the water in 50-gallon barrels, so that she can wash and then wet her garden.”
Drusilla has a hearty appetite. Among her favourite dishes are meal cou cou, breadfruit cou cou, and crushed yam.
Drusilla urged the younger generation to give God thanks and praise, and to “love and cherish others so that they would be encouraged to live the right life pleasing to God at all times. It don’t always be easy, but in everything give God thanks and he will bring you through”.
