Family, friends and the wider community of Howells Cross Road came together on June 26, 2025, to ensure Millicent Clesfield Nurse, affectionately known as Aunt Cless, had an enjoyable birthday celebration.
One of her specially invited guests was President of Barbados, The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason.
Mrs. Nurse shared that she was feeling “good” and was “thankful” that Her Excellency had taken the time to visit. She introduced her sister, Anita Greenidge (95 years old) and her cousin, Margaret Brathwaite-Burgess (99 years old), noting that the trio are the last of their generation and they come from a family of long livers.
“I come out of a very poor family but God-fearing, and most of my time was with my grandmother. From little, she taught me about God and how to live a good life, so I gave my heart to Jesus from a child…. He took care of me all these years…,” she said.
The centenarian added: “God supplied for us…I was never hungry…I didn’t always have what I liked…but I never went to bed hungry.”
After the song “Goodness of God” was sung by her nieces and some close friends, one of her nephews, Dennis Greendige, gave a tribute. “I am so grateful to God for all that He has done in the life of ‘Aunt Cless’ and of course my mother…. They didn’t have it easy as children….
“It is a reality, when I look back at my aunt’s life…goodness and mercy has followed you all the days of your life, and for this, I give God thanks, and I want to thank you for being you,” he said.
One of Mrs. Nurse’s neighbours and Member of Parliament for the area, Trevor Prescod, shared that the community came together to help celebrate her birthday. He noted that the young men there “expressed how proud” they are of her and asked him to “convey their respect”.
He shared: “They came … and they did some work … and this morning one of the young men came and swept the streets.”
Mr. Prescod continued: “You are the matriarch of this community…. You have been endowed with all of the great qualities from the Divine…. We need to see another Mrs. Nurse imparting these values.”
Raised in Brittons Hill, St. Michael, Mrs. Nurse attended St. Paul Girls’ School (now St. Paul Primary School) in Brittons Cross Road, St. Michael. Due to commitments to care for her grandmother, she gave up on her desire to be a teacher as she was not able to complete her schooling.
Leveraging her talents, Mrs. Nurse turned to sewing and cake decorating (specifically piped icing), skills she developed from her aunt and grandmother, to make a living.
One of her special areas was millinery (hat making), in which she was able to successfully market her hats to some stores in Bridgetown, including Cave Shepherd and Co. Ltd. At age 30, she gave up hat making, for a while, and got married to Jason Nurse (deceased).
In 1965, the couple emigrated to Massachusetts, United States, and remained there for 21 years. She worked primarily as a trained nurse.
At age 63, Mrs. Nurse retired, as did her husband, and they returned to Barbados, eventually settling down in Howells Cross Road, where she currently resides.
Mrs. Nurse, who has no children, continues to be active. She sews her own clothes, makes hats, crochets, does much of her own shopping, cooks when needed, and enjoys attending service at Emmanuel Baptist Church, Bridgetown.
Her favourite foods are chicken soup and all types of dessert, with a special fondness for Jello, ice cream, and cake.
Her Excellency remarked: “One of my sorriest and most disappointing moments is that our journalists don’t come and spend some time talking with persons like yourself who would have…seen the First World War, the Second World War…. They would have helped to build Barbados and those are the stories that we need to hear, so that our younger persons could fully appreciate what they went through, in order for them to have an easier life.”
Dame Sandra added: “I want to thank you for all you have done…. Thank you for reaching 100, so I could visit….”
