Mrs. Edna Rock, affectionately known as Mama, welcomed family and friends to her home in Cave Hill, St. Lucy on Wednesday, as she celebrated her 100th birthday.
President of Barbados, His Excellency, Lieutenant Colonel, The Most Honourable Jeffrey Bostic, was one of her specially invited guests.
Mrs. Rock shared with President Bostic that she felt “excited” to reach 100 years, to which he responded “I’m happy to be able to celebrate this day with you.…”
He continued: “Good…to see that you are in good spirits and that you have…people here to celebrate with your family and friends…. That makes it very special.”
In a tribute to her mother, Dr. Letnie Rock said: “You have taught us to be loving, humble, gracious, compassionate, honest and truthful…. You taught us to be responsible and to stand on our own two feet.”
She noted that her mother was “always witty but firm, a loving and caring mother who loved children dearly, all children”.
She further stated that her children’s education was “high” on her mother’s list of priorities, as she encouraged them to stay in school, pursue their studies and do their best to achieve their goals.
Listiel Rock, her eldest surviving son, said while his father was an integral part of their lives, he credits his mother with all he has achieved today as she has left an “indelible imprint” on the family. “Growing old with my mother has been one of the greatest experiences of life,” he said.
He noted that she guided them to “strive for excellence”, remain committed to a task, have foresight, and be a change agent by being proactive, rather than reactive.
One of her grandchildren, Melannie Rock, described her grandmother as “the most loving, resourceful and strongest woman” she knows.
She shared that her grannie is a “woman of the Lord, with a deep and unwavering faith”, who instilled in the family “a love for God and a commitment to serving” the community through the Church.
Raised in Cave Hill (previously referred to as “Graveyard”), St. Lucy, Mrs. Rock, a Seventh Day Adventist, attended St. Clement’s Girls’ School, St. Lucy, after which she pursued a career as a seamstress – first as an apprentice and then on her own.
After marrying Rupert Rock (now deceased), she decided to refocus her time on raising her children and agriculture. She gave up her pursuit as a seamstress primarily because of the lack of timely payment for her work, which made it difficult to provide for her family.
She planted and harvested sugar cane and ground provisions, among other things. She worked in this area until her full retirement in her 90’s.
Mrs. Rock is a member of the Cave Hill Seventh Day Adventist Church and is well known for her singing and cooking. Her favourite foods are rice, fish and ground provisions.
When asked by His Excellency what it was like growing up back then, Mrs. Rock replied: “It was good, school was good.” She attributed the good in her life to the glory of God.
President Bostic presented Mrs. Rock with a bouquet of flowers, a bottle of non-alcoholic wine and a personalised greeting card. Mrs. Rock had eight children (two deceased), ten grandchildren (two adopted, one deceased) and seven great-grandchildren.
