Ena Euline Jones was joined on Thursday by family, friends and members of the Bethel Methodist Church as she celebrated her 100th birthday in the church’s Donald Henry Auditorium.
President of Barbados, His Excellency, Lieutenant Colonel, The Most Honourable Jeffrey Bostic, was one of her specially invited guests.
Mrs. Jones shared that her day has been “very cool and quiet, no fuss”, just as she likes to be. She said she never thought she would reach the age of 100, especially since her mother died when she was about seven years old.
In her tribute, Wendy Darlington stated that she became friends with Mrs. Jones as they attended church and sat in the same pew every Sunday. She described the centenarian as a “caring” person, who looked out for those close to her.
Stevenson Tull, a second cousin, described Mrs. Jones as a witty person, who took good care of herself. He noted that he would always pass by her home during his visits to Barbados, and she enjoyed sharing stories with him.
Mrs. Jones said life during World War II was “not all the best” but one had to “try and make it”, adding that a person who liked to work would “get through life”.
She encouraged the younger generation to “try to be the best” they can be and avoid following “bad company”. She added that they should “live a clean life” and “look for a job”, at the appropriate time.
“As long as you [have] sense and understanding, you will know right from wrong and if you see a person going the wrong way, don’t follow…. If you choose to follow the bad company, …whatever you get, you [have] to be satisfied,” she said.
The centenarian encouraged people to “try to be happy” and focus on making “life easy” for themselves by living a good life and not taking on stress.
Mrs. Jones, a devout Christian and lifelong Methodist, was born and raised in Hindsbury Road, St. Michael, and attended Hindsbury Girls’ School (now Hindsbury Primary School).
After her mother’s passing, she moved in with the Trotman family, who owned and operated minibuses in Roebuck Street, St. Michael.
At the end of her school life, she worked as a domestic, first at private residences and then in the hotel industry in Barbados and The Bahamas. In Barbados, she worked at the Marine Hotel (now Hotel PomMarine), the Caribbee Hotel, Paradise Beach Resort and Rockley Resort.
As a teenager, Mrs. Jones enjoyed going to the cinema and attending dances, especially those in Queen’s Park. However, she decided to “pull away” from these activities and be more focused on her work.
Mrs. Jones was married to Clyde Jones (now deceased) and had one daughter who died at an early age.
She eventually moved to Rendezvous, Christ Church, where she now resides. Her hobbies include craftmaking, especially working with raffia, attending church services and sharing life-stories with her friends.
President Bostic presented Mrs. Jones with a bouquet of flowers, a bottle of non-alcoholic wine and a greeting card.
