At 104, Montserrat’s John ‘Cannon’ Fenton is still sharp and sharing stories about his intriguing life

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August 3, 2022

mrcannon — "I'm not really a religious man but I'm not one of the bad ones," says John "Cannon" Fenton, who turned 104 in March.

It is 5:30 p.m. on a balmy Tuesday in July. Dusk beckons over Salem, a village whose name literally means “peaceful and complete.” John Fenton is seated on a sturdy gray plastic chair on his verandah. He is facing the Salem Park Road, one of the main arteries in the ever-flowing village in central Montserrat. As each vehicle passes, the drivers honk their horns or yell out the name by which Fenton is best known.

“Cannon! How you doing?” shouts Salem native Julian Romeo, who slows his Jeep to exchange pleasantries. Seconds later, a stentorian voice emanates from across the street. “John Cannon!” bellows Danny Sweeney, another area resident.

Each greeting is laced with unmistakable reverence for Fenton, Montserrat’s second-oldest resident at 104. While most of his contemporaries are infirm or interred, Fenton lives alone and still cooks his own meals. He enjoys a cold beer each evening. Heineken and Amstel are the most popular brands on Montserrat but Fenton prefers Carib Lager.

Fenton enjoys recounting stories, of which he has countless. He rattles off anecdotes about growing up in St. John’s Village, becoming a successful businessman at 15 after dropping out of school, his eventful two decades in England and subsequent return to Montserrat.

A father of nine and grandfather of 13, Fenton remains a legend in St. John’s, where the locals once urged him to enter politics (he politely declined). These days he has ample time to relax and reflect on a journey that is truly one for the ages.

GREETINGS FROM ST. JOHN’S

“I was born on the 12^th of March, 1918,” says Fenton, who hails from Dick Hill, St. John’s, in the north. He is the only child of his mother, who died when Fenton was 4 years old. His father later remarried and sired “seven or eight” children, Fenton says.

Fenton attended St. John’s School, which was an appendage of the Anglican church. He dropped out in Standard 3. “They refused to pass me to Standard 4 so I got fed up and left,” says Fenton, who at age 14 became known as “Cannon” – an alias he gave himself. “I gave all my friends their nicknames too,” he says with a tinge of pride.

Unlike some dropouts, Fenton was no delinquent or loafer. He was willing to work.

“I wasn’t a scholar but I survived. Where the airport is right now [in Gerald’s], back then you could go down there and Task,” he says, a term in which workers were assigned a parcel of land to cultivate and manage.

Photo credit: eBay
*Sea Island cotton was once such as staple on Montserrat that it was featured on this stamp from the early 1950s.*

During the 1930s, cotton was king in Montserrat. The pear-shaped island produced Sea Island cotton, which was in high demand because its long fibers yielded luxurious fabric that was silky and soft. St. John’s flourished with cotton, and Fenton says he once managed about eight acres. He hired workers and teamed with legendary Plymouth businessman M.S. Osborne, who shipped the cotton to England. Still a teenager, Fenton invested his earnings wisely and purchased a property on Challenger Road in St. John’s.

“I bought a shop for 9 pounds and the land for 3 pounds,” he says. “I was the first person to live on Challenger Road. Back then it was called Cart Range. That was around 1933.”

Challenger Road, a glorified alley that runs north-south, serves as an avenue for two main roads in St. John’s. The northern end is near the current site of Glendon Hospital. Fenton explained how the road got its name.

“At one time the road was just wide enough for a cart,” he says. “Then they widened it. There was a bus called Challenger [owned by the Howe family]. It was the first bus to drive through there. That’s why they call it Challenger Road.”

Challenger Road remains quite narrow. Due to lax enforcement of zoning laws, homes were built on either side of the road, making it virtually impossible to widen the strip without infringing on property. However, it is still a two-way street, making for awkward maneuvering when vehicles heading in opposite directions cross paths.

Fenton says he once owned three shops in the area – two in St. John’s and one in Davy Hill. He sold food, liquor, cigarettes . . . “Everything!” he says with a smile.

A look at Challenger Road in St. John’s, where “Cannon” Fenton once lived and owned a shop.

FAMILY MAN

In 1941, Fenton married Sarah “Bertie” Ryan of nearby Drummonds. They had seven children: five boys, two girls. In 1943, eldest son Joseph sadly died at age 4. “One day I heard him snoring . . . but he wasn’t sleeping,” Fenton says. “We took him to the doctor and then the hospital. When they told me my son was going to die, I fainted.”

In 1954, Fenton was still enjoying business success but saw many of his friends leaving for England during the Windrush era that followed World War II. Fenton became intrigued about the Mother Country.

“I used to lend people money when they were going to England,” he says. “I thought that in England you could just go up there and walk on money.”

Fenton closed his shops and sailed off to Britain. But when he arrived he was taken aback. “It was cold . . . and foggy. For days you didn’t even see the sun.” Fenton wanted to return to Montserrat right away but knew he would look somewhat foolish after closing his shops.

In 1956, Fenton sent for his wife. During the weeks-long voyage to England, the ships often made stops in other European ports. When they docked in Italy, Bertie Fenton was not wearing the proper attire for the frigid weather and developed a serious illness. She died shortly after arriving in England and was interred in the UK.

With his children now motherless and grieving in Montserrat, Fenton returned home. He purchased a bus. “Marse Gen [M.S. Osborne] ordered it for me,” he says. One day in 1958, he was transporting passengers when the bus got a flat tire at the top of Fogarthy Hill in St. Peter’s near the famous “S” corner. Fenton tried to change the tire, but the spare was also flat, and he didn’t have a pump. The passengers got on another bus and Fenton got a ride from a friend. When he returned to fix the tire, vandals had burned down the bus.

“Bad mind,” he simply says when asked the motive. “I had that bus for less than a year.”

Distressed by the incident, Fenton returned to England and eventually sent for all his children. He later remarried and also adopted a new profession in the UK: house painter. He remained in England until 1974, when he decided to give America a try. He moved to New York, but, now in his 50s, he could not find consistent work. He bought his current home in Salem and came home in 1978.

His most lucrative days as a house painter came in the subsequent years. He teamed with contractor Noel “Fenty” Fenton (a distant relative) and got steady painting jobs. “I would sometimes paint a whole house by myself,” he says. “I remember one job I got $10,000.”

In 1994, “Cannon” stopped painting on the advice of his doctor. The years of inhaling toxic paint fumes had taken a toll. “They said it was affecting my lungs.”

That didn’t curtail his work ethic. He worked in the fields, harvesting crops, notably cassava. He was omnipresent, spending time between Salem and St. John’s.

In 2018, he celebrated his 100th birthday with a lavish bash at Tropical Mansion Suites Hotel. “We had 100 guests, white and black. That party cost $15,000 . . . and breeze.”

*A program from John “Cannon” Fenton’s 100th birthday celebration in 2018.*

HE’S STILL BATTING

With any long existence, adversity is always hovering. Losing his young son and his wife still stings more than six decades later. But Fenton says overall he has had a happy life. He’s still lucid and active and could pass for a man in his 70s. He’s grizzled but not gaunt. He drove vehicles until he turned 100, then stopped at his own discretion. He endures chronic pain and has lost some feeling in his left arm, yet he still heads to his garden on his good days and harvests his trademark cassava. He says he didn’t expect to reach a century. However, there was family precedent.

“My aunt Hannah Fenton lived to be 108,” he says, before quickly adding, “I don’t think I’m going to reach there. Not with all these pains I have.”

Nonetheless, Fenton continues to stick to his winning formula: “I have my soup every day and a beer in the evening.” He is constantly surrounded by family and friends who keep his mind and intellect engaged. As of early August 2022, the only person in Montserrat older than Fenton was 105-year-old Sarah Piper, a native of Frith’s Village who was residing in the Golden Years Home For The Elderly.

It is now 6:30 p.m. Dusk has officially taken center stage but Fenton is still holding court. Some of his tales are humorous, such as the days when men would migrate to England and then send for their wives – and their “side chicks” as well. One story segues into another as Fenton exhibits the memory of a man half his age. His life story is not just his own. It’s also the story of a people, straddling several generations of Montserrat’s colonial, cultural and complicated history.

It’s almost time for Fenton’s evening beer but another story is always brewing from the centenarian.

They never get old.

WATCH A BRIEF INTERVIEW WITH ‘CANNON’

John “Cannon” Fenton addresses several topics during an interview July 26, 2022.

Editor’s note: John “Cannon” Fenton died on September 22, 2023.

Marjorie Joseph – ‘Montserrat’s Mother Teresa’ – leaves legacy of grace, generosity and goodwill

By

EDWIN L. MARTIN

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July 21, 2022

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share-a-ride — Photos courtesy Joseph family
Nurse Marjorie Joseph, pictured behind the wheel in Montserrat, gave a lift to friends and strangers alike.

When Marjorie Joseph migrated from Montserrat to the United States in 1998, her children – who were already living in America – knew she had to make some lifestyle adjustments. One of their primary goals was to discourage her from obtaining a driver’s license. It wasn’t because they felt she was incapable of operating a vehicle. It was due to her penchant for giving rides to strangers.

“Picking up strangers in the United States is not the same as picking up strangers in Montserrat,” they stressed to her.

Nurse Joseph did not attempt to get a license and she never drove while in the U.S., so her children won that battle. Well, sort of.

“We would be driving and Mom would say, ‘Ask that person if they need a ride,’ ” Shaun Joseph says. “I remember in Montserrat our car would be full and she would still stop and pick up people . . . and they would end up sitting on our lap.”

That spirit of altruism was a tenet for Marjorie Joseph until she was called home to the Lord on Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Joseph, who died of natural causes, lived her final years in California.

A memorial service was held Saturday, July 9, 2022 at the Azure Hills Seventh Day Adventist Church, Nurse Joseph’s place of worship. During the hour-and-a-half service, church members spoke of her with a profound reverence despite her fairly brief association with the church. They shared stories about her outreach, generosity and sense of humor.

Marjorie Joseph was known mainly as a nurse, but she played many other roles during her 92 years: She was a mother, philanthropist, dramatist, author, church organist and event organizer. She was a sister and church sister, a wife and midwife. She was a staunch Adventist who was principled but never pompous. She practiced what she preached . . . and preached what she practiced. She had a sweet disposition and she handed out sweets, literally, often placing candies in the pockets of unsuspecting recipients, no occasion required.

In early 1988, Nurse Joseph received an MBE award (Member of the Order of the British Empire) and earned a spot on Queen Elizabeth’s prestigious New Year’s Honors list. She was voted Mother of the Year in 2004 by the Montserrat Progressive Society of New York. In 2007, she published a biography titled God Has Brought Me This Far that chronicled her journey of faith, family and fellowship.

Dozens of tributes poured in after her passing. On the Azure Hills church website, family members, friends, parishioners, fellow nurses, former patients and others shared stories about Nurse Joseph and how they were touched by her kindness.

It was the culmination of a life-long crusade of caring and compassion.

*Nurse Marjorie Joseph, the earlier years.*

FAITH AND FAMILY

Marjorie Joseph, also known as Nurse Joseph and Aunt Sis, was born on October 5, 1929. She was the second of eight children born to William and Rosanna Bramble of Delvins Village, just west of Cork Hill in central Montserrat. Marjorie’s siblings were Thomas, Cerise, Mary, Arthur, Melvin, Donald, Eunice and Josephine. Their father worked at the Depot near Water Lane in Plymouth. Cottonseed oil – referred colloquially as “sweet oil” – was produced there.

Marjorie’s parents were also devout Adventists. At that time, the closest Adventist Church was in Jubilee Town, almost three miles south of Delvins. Mr. Bramble – better known as “Willie Bootie” – would often ride a bicycle to evening service.

After completing school, Marjorie joined the nurse’s training program at Glendon Hospital. Mary Cooper, who would become a close friend and colleague for more than 70 years, explained the process of becoming a district nurse.

“You had to sit an entrance exam,” said Cooper, who became a nurse in 1950 – about three years after Joseph. “You were trained on the job. You also had to train to be a midwife. In those days most babies were delivered in the districts. Only people with [severe complications] were sent to the hospital.”

In the early 1950s, Marjorie married Alfred “Brother Joe” Joseph of Gages. The couple would have three daughters – Rosanna, Theresa and Judith – and also legally adopt Marjorie’s nephews Arthur and Shaun.

The 1950s saw thousands of Montserratians migrate to England amid the Windrush era, and the Josephs were among them. However, their stay in the UK would prove short. Longing for the simplicity of island life, they returned by boat to Montserrat in 1962 and lived in Molyneaux Village. Later on, they built a house in Dyers.

*Nurse Joseph is pictured at her home in Montserrat.*

A NURSE’S LIFE

During the early years of Marjorie Joseph’s career, nurses were a vital part of the community. Their presence and pristine white uniforms garnered respect. They attended to an array of health issues and were always on call, visiting homes, delivering babies and even patiently washing the feet of patients with reeking sores.

“I remember my mom having to stitch up someone who had just been injured by a cutlass during a fight,” Judith says. “And she would just calmly do the sutures like a surgeon.”

Nurse Joseph also made a tremendous impact by improving standards in nutrition and sanitation in Montserrat. She frequently appeared on Radio Montserrat and promoted healthy practices that helped garner the aforementioned award from the Queen.

Over time, the dynamics of nursing in Montserrat evolved, bringing an end to the era of the traditional district nurse. What made Nurse Joseph stand out during her time was how she meshed her personality and religion into her work.

“She loved people, and she would always make them feel comfortable with her jokes,” said Cooper, who participated with Joseph in the annual Nurses Concerts that became legendary. Nurse Joseph amused audiences with her stage antics and self-deprecating humor.

“She would do things like remove her dentures,” Cooper says. “One time we did a skit where she hid a Johnny cake under her wig, and in the skit I accidentally remove the wig and the Johnny cake falls out.”

Rosamund Meade, a veteran school teacher who grew up in Delvins, recalls Joseph’s hilarious skits.

“If you were half-dead she would make you laugh and bring you back to life,” Meade says. “If she wasn’t part of the show you’d probably want your money back.”

*Nurse Mary Cooper, above, was a friend and colleague to Nurse Joseph and also a co-star during skits at the Nurses concerts.*

The Nurses Concerts were held in conjunction with Nurses Week, which was part fund-raiser but mostly geared toward community fellowship. Joseph and Cooper also hosted the Golden Years Program on Radio Montserrat for several years before Joseph migrated.

Arthur Bramble, Nurse Joseph’s adopted son, recalled one instance that demonstrated the respect the venerable nurse commanded.

“I used to do construction work, and some of the guys would give me a hard time,” he says. “I told her about it. She showed up at my job the next day to bring me lunch, and all of the guys were like, ‘Nurse Joseph, that’s your son?’ She said, ‘Yes he is.’ They never bothered me again.”

Basil Chambers, the popular morning host on Radio Montserrat, grew up in Lees Village near Nurse Joseph’s home. They attended the same Adventist church in Dyers. In a tribute following her passing, he referred to her as “Montserrat’s Mother Teresa.”

“Nurse Joseph was my other grandmother,” Chambers says. “I knew her since I was 3 years old. She involved me in everything from Pathfinders to her choral group to her many short skits and concerts. I was one of the stars doing the very popular, I Just Got to Heaven and I Can’t Sit Down. My humanitarian ways and kindness comes directly from her lessons and training.”

*Playing the ukulele was one of the ways Nurse Marjorie Joseph brought good cheer to those around her.*

LATER YEARS

Nurse Joseph was extremely generous to her community but never forgot the credo, “Charity begins at home.” She and “Brother Joe” wanted to assure that their children got the best education.

Joining their elder sister Rosanna in careers in healthcare, Judith and Theresa graduated from Loma Linda University, considered in Adventist circles as their flagship for healthcare education.

“My mom worked tirelessly to pay for those tuitions,” Judith says. “My parents made a lot of sacrifices for us. It was easy for us to get decent grades because we didn’t want to disappoint them.”

In the late 1990s, Nurse Joseph’s husband “Brother Joe” became ill. The family decided it was best that he and Nurse Joseph move to America so he could receive advanced care. “Brother Joe” passed away in 2000.

Nurse Joseph joined the Azure Hills church in the early 2000s. The church has a diverse membership, including Hispanics, Filipinos, African-Americans and Caucasians. Nurse Joseph fit in with ease and became as beloved there as she was in Montserrat, proving that humanity trumps ethnicity.

*Nurse Joseph served as a counselor for the Pathfinders at the Azure Hills church.*

At the Azure Hills church she served as a counselor for the Pathfinders, a traditional Adventist program designed to mentor young church members. They went on hikes and other retreats, and Nurse Joseph accompanied them even at an advanced age. As a Masters Guide for the Pathfinders in Montserrat, she was known to sit in a chair between the boys’ and girls’ living quarters during retreats to assure there would be no “hanky panky” on her watch.

During her time as a member of the Azure Hills church, Nurse Joseph suffered a fall that became further debilitating over time. Despite her limited mobility, she continued to be active in the church, even playing her ukulele during Thanksgiving functions.

*Nurse Joseph takes a selfie with fellow church members.*

LIVING AND GIVING

Nurse Joseph’s son Shaun was asked how much of his mother’s kindness was motivated by her deep faith and how much was simply her personality.

“I would say it was 30 percent religion, 70 percent her,” he said. “She was always sharing. If it was the last piece of bread she had, she would share it.”

Of the countless tributes that were submitted, one was particularly poignant. It came from Adina Lee of Montserrat, who wrote in part:

“I am alive because of Nurse Joseph. My Mom says she went into labor at home and had to send Dad to get Nurse. She was already dressed for church but took the time to come and deliver me. I was breech with my umbilical cord around my neck and not breathing. Nurse breathed into my mouth, and I began to breathe and what babies do at birth: cry. Thank you so much Nurse Joseph. It was your breath that has me alive today. I will always cherish this knowledge of my birth. Enjoy your time in heaven.”

The woman who gave that baby her first breath has now taken her last.

But her legacy is alive and kicking.

Nurse Joseph is featured in a report during the aftermath of the Montserrat volcanic crisis.

Montserrat native Diana Galloway celebrates her 100th: ‘I thank God for life. I thank Him for everything’

By

EDWIN L. MARTIN

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May 17, 2022

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IMG-20220517-WA0009 — Diana Galloway holds a birthday card from Queen Elizabeth II after a service at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Queens, N.Y.

Diana Galloway’s outfit on her 100^th birthday gave immediate notice that she was ready to paint the town red – her favorite color. She wore a red pant suit with gold trim and a gold church hat adorned with swirling red-and-gold bows. The ensemble was created by Jeweline Roberts-Riley, dress designer for many Festival queens in Montserrat. She ensured that Diana also got the royal treatment, and the centenarian looked her Sunday best . . . even on a Tuesday.

May 17, 2022, was a red-letter day in the Rosedale section of Queens, New York, as Diana officially reached her milestone. She was celebrated by family, friends and even strangers. During a service at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Reverend Steve Foster lauded Diana’s journey to “five score” – well surpassing the Biblical benchmark of “three score and 10.” Diana received a birthday card from Queen Elizabeth II and letters of congratulations from Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. and Montserrat Premier Joseph Farrell, who also delivered well-wishes via Zoom on behalf of the people of Montserrat.

Diana’s journey to 100 has taken her from the tiny enclaves of Cotton Ground and Jack Sweeney in northern Montserrat to the beaches and coves of Curacao and the bright lights of New York City. She has been the beneficiary of great fortune and amazing genes. Diana has earned the label of senior citizen, but she’s still a junior member of her family. Her sister Mathilda is 101, and her aunt, Margaret “Liz” Piper, is 102.

Diana still enjoys a mean game of dominoes and occasional shot of brandy. She used to toil in her garden for hours, but she’s no wallflower. She is proud and feisty, even in her advanced age. When she returned home from the hospital in early 2020 she noticed that an elevated toilet seat with side grips had been installed in her bathroom. “What is this sh–?” she asked, the irony not lost amid her candor. “I don’t need it!”

Diana once played in a women’s cricket league, and her life in many ways has paralleled the sport. She is an all-rounder. She has patiently built her innings, avoiding reckless choices. She navigated through her nervous nineties, including a serious illness at 97 that required the aforementioned hospitalization. “We thought we were going to lose her,” admits her niece and caretaker Cherolyn Galloway.

But Diana persevered to reach her glorious century. Instead of raising a bat she raised a glass to toast what has been an amazing odyssey.

*“I thank God for life. I thank Him for everything.”*

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

The area of Jack Sweeney in St. John’s is one of the final visuals for airline passengers before landing at John A. Osborne Airport. At the western end of the airstrip is Montserrat’s only tunnel. During Diana’s childhood there was no airport, no tunnel, and most of the roads were still dirt paths.

Diana Ann Lucinda Galloway made her debut May 17, 1922. She was the fourth of 10 children born to John Galloway and wife Sarah (nee’ Ponteen). Diana first lived in Cotton Ground near Drummonds Village on the slopes of the Silver Hills. Later on she moved to Jack Sweeney, about a mile and a quarter south.

“We had to tie out sheep and goat,” Diana says. “Me and my sisters had to carry cow milk from Cotton Ground to Jack Sweeney.”

The Ponteen and Galloway families have a long legacy in Montserrat. Many became luminaries, such as Farrell, Montserrat’s premier; Sir Howard Fergus, historian, former Speaker of the House, Acting Governor and educator; Jim Galloway, famous masquerader; Margaret “Teacher Ann” Browne, longtime educator; and J. Emmanuel Galloway, managing director of the Galloway Group Inc., which owns Tropical Mansion Suites and Galloway Hardware.

Diana attended St. John’s Anglican Church School. In those days all primary schools in Montserrat were parochial-based. Diana did not attend secondary school. St. John’s, due to its distance from Plymouth, was a virtual entity at the time. Very few students from the north attended the coveted “grammar school” in town – and for many young women, a life of blue-collar work was the expectation. However, at age 25, Diana received a tremendous opportunity.

THE CURACAO YEARS

When Diana traveled to Curacao in 1947, she followed the lead of elder sister Mathilda, who arrived two years earlier. The Curacao rush in the 1940s and ’50s was sparked due to employment opportunities created by oil refineries. Curacao did not produce oil. But nearby Venezuela did. When oil is unearthed it is in the form of crude and needs to be refined into gasoline and diesel. Shell Oil had a refinery in Curacao; Esso had one in Aruba.

Young men from around the Caribbean – many just out of school – were recruited to work in the refineries. There was also a phosphate mining company in the southern town of Newport that employed many immigrant men, including Montserratians. Young immigrant women were brought in to work as live-in housekeepers, mostly for the Dutch (“Makamba”) big-wigs in the oil companies. Diana and Mathilda were among them. Two other Galloway sisters – Mary (aka “Sister”) and Susan – would also work in Curacao. Mathilda says she earned 50 guilders a month, about U.S. $27. It seems like a pittance, but cost of living was relative, and a live-in job meant no lodging and utility expenses.

Many people in Curacao spoke four languages: English, Dutch, Papiamento and Spanish. Diana doesn’t speak Dutch or Papiamento but still utters a few words in Spanish, with “caliente” one of her favorites. By the way, the mentholated lotion Alcolado Glacial – which became a staple in Montserrat households – originates from Curacao.

Neither Diana nor Mathilda has children. A major reason is the fact that unmarried immigrant women who became pregnant were deported from Curacao. Working there was a privilege, and many were careful not to jeopardize the opportunity. Being expelled and sent back to Montserrat was a source of embarrassment and social disgrace. Diana says she doesn’t regret not having children, and even implied that it was worth the sacrifice.

“Those days we knew that we needed to make a living for ourselves and help the others back home,” she says.

And that she did. Although Diana was not the eldest of her siblings, she became the unofficial matriarch. Her relatives were overjoyed whenever she returned to Montserrat.

Icilda Stanley, Diana’s niece, says she couldn’t wait for Diana to open her valise: “Whether it was a doll that we couldn’t get in Montserrat or dresses that nobody else had, we wanted whatever was in [the suitcase] for us.”

Diana supported the family in ways that transcended gifts. She played a crucial role in the upbringing of several nieces and nephews and is grateful they in turn have attended to her well-being. “If it wasn’t for them I would probably be in a nursing home,” Diana says.

*Diana Galloway (indicated by arrow) played in a women’s cricket league while living in Curacao.*

During their time in Curacao, Diana and her sisters spent their off days together, going to the movies, visiting the island’s renowned beaches, and going to church. In fact Diana was confirmed in Curacao in 1953. Another pastime they participated in was cricket. Diana and Mathilda played for the Curacao women’s team against squads from Aruba and St. Maarten. Diana traveled to Aruba with the team but says she has never visited Bonaire, the third of the “A-B-C” islands.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s the Caribbean exodus to Curacao tailed off. For one, many Montserratians were now opting for England as their place of migration. Also, due to technology and other factors, the Curacao oil refineries saw a reduction in the work force.

ON TO NEW YORK

Diana spent two decades in Curacao, then migrated to New York in 1968 when her employers returned to Holland. Diana’s younger sister Irene (Beth) was living in New York and filed Diana’s immigration paperwork. Mathilda remained in Curacao and still lives there.

Upon arrival to the Big Apple, Diana roomed with her cousin, Eleanor “Lucy” O’Garro, in the Bronx. Later on she rented an apartment in the same building in Harlem – 153 West 139th Street – where her sister Beth resided. The New York winter was a rough welcome for Diana, who had enjoyed tropical temperatures her entire life.

“I knew it was going to be cold but not that cold,” she says of the frigid weather, which was especially punishing while waiting for the bus. “I had to go buy a coat. We used to go to Alexander’s and Macy’s.”

Diana got a job at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan working in the laundry department. She would end up working there until 1987. While at Mount Sinai she was a member of Labor Union 1199. In the summer of 1982, the union held a strike, demanding a 10 percent pay raise. Diana was on the picket line. They chanted: “Hey, hey, what do you say? 1199 all the way. Hey, hey, what do you want? 10 percent. And what do you want it for? To pay the rent. And when do you want it? Now!”

The strike lasted only three days as the union prevailed.

*Diana, pictured in 1998, became close with her neighbor’s son Jason Heron, who suffers from autism.*

Diana’s half-century in New York has been eventful. She has had many close friends, including Mary Daniel-Galloway, her sister-in-law. Mary was married to Diana’s younger brother Nicky. Mary and Nicky lived in Queens, and they were the ones who convinced Diana to purchase her current home in Rosedale.

Diana and Mary were inseparable, especially when it came to shopping. Their trips would take up most of the day. Armed with a bevy of coupons, they would visit stores such as Pergament, Alexander’s, Macy’s, Crazy Eddie and Key Food. They would seek out the best bargains and were not shy about requesting rain checks when an item was out of stock.

Diana’s cousin Henrietta Browne was also a close confidante. Boston Carnival, held the weekend before Labor Day, was a customary retreat for Diana. She would begin preparation weeks in advance, stocking up on saltfish (to make her signature saltfish cake) and assorted spirits. Henrietta, who lived in Boston, always looked forward to Diana’s visits and the goodies she brought. The trip to Boston was part revelry but mostly reunion as Diana would reconnect with many Montserratians.

*Diana Galloway’s sister Mathilda, who still lives in Curacao, turns 102 in June of 2022.*

TIME FOR REFLECTION

Having an abundance of family and friends means love . . . and loss. Living a long life means outliving loved ones. In 1971, Diana’s sister Beth died at 45. In 1981, Diana’s mother Sarah passed away in Montserrat at age 86. Her father John died seven years later. Of Diana’s nine siblings, only two remain: Mathilda and Jane (Cherolyn’s mother). Diana’s dear cousin Henrietta has also passed on. Diana also lost two close relatives – grand-nephew Herman and nephew Arthur, who were both only in their 40s.

“She always wears black or dark-colored clothes when someone close to her dies,” Cherolyn says of her aunt.

Diana’s home has been a sanctuary for many, as she has allowed many migrating Montserratians – family, friends and strangers alike – to stay there until they found a place of their own. Diana grew close to her neighbor Jacinth Heron, who entrusted Diana to take care of her son Jason, who has autism. “She’s one of a kind,” Jacinth says of Diana.

James “Blue Boy” Silcott, a fellow Queens resident and former taxi driver in Montserrat, has known Diana for almost 40 years. He helped her relocate from Harlem to Queens and was one of the regular attendees at her annual Memorial Day weekend parties to celebrate her birthday.

“She always had a lot of food, a lot of drinks,” he says. “She didn’t really dance too much but she made sure everybody was OK. She’s a family-oriented person. She’s very patient, very kind-hearted. Her parties were jam-packed. And Christmas was always great. She used to set up everything just like in Montserrat. Jumbie table, everything.”

Diana, who has spent a lifetime attending to the welfare of others, is now able to sit back and be the recipient of well-deserved reverence. Her 100th birthday abounded with phone calls, visits and messages on social media. Family and friends shared humorous stories about the woman of the century. She received many cards and presents. But the gifts she will most cherish aren’t wrapped with bows, ribbons and decorative paper.

The gift of gratitude. The gift of family.

The gift of life.

*Diana Galloway at different stages in her life.*

Lewis Magruder Jr. recalls how father’s fatal crash in Montserrat forever changed his family

By

EDWIN L. MARTIN

-

March 28, 2022

4

magruderlewisnew — All photos courtesy Magruder family
Lewis Magruder Jr. became a pilot just like his father and was also a helicopter crew chief with the National Guard.

Editor’s note: This is a follow-up to our story published March 21, 2022 on Lewis Magruder’s 1957 plane crash, the first aircraft fatality in Montserrat history.

Lewis “Butch” Magruder Jr. knew something was wrong. As he stepped off the school bus on May 13, 1957 and approached his home in the Obrero section of Santurce, Puerto Rico, he saw several family members standing on the porch. A few others were inside the house. Butch was puzzled. It was a Monday afternoon. It wasn’t a holiday. Why were so many relatives there? They weren’t exchanging pleasantries or engaged in animated conversation. It was quite jarring, even for a 10-year-old.

“Everybody was looking sad,” he says. “I went in the house and saw my mom sitting there with her eyes red. She said to me, ‘Butch . . . your dad.’ That’s all she said. She didn’t have to say any more. I just went to my room and cried.”

Butch’s dad was Lewis Magruder, the pilot who crashed in Montserrat earlier that day. Magruder was flying low over Waterwork Estate in a single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza when he clipped a palm tree. He had a routine of waving good-bye to the Hollender family before heading back home to Puerto Rico.

Magruder had been visiting Montserrat since 1953. The aviation expert was brought to the Emerald Isle by Frank Delisle, who wanted to establish Montserrat’s first air-transit service. Magruder helped Delisle launch Leeward Islands Air Transport (LIAT) three years later. He also played a crucial role in the selection of Trant’s Estate as the site of Blackburne Airport, which also opened in 1956. “Mac” made many friends in Montserrat and became a beloved figure. Locals would shout his name when he flew overhead.

Magruder was born in Maryland and moved to Puerto Rico in 1942 while in the United States Navy. He married Puerto Rico native Camelia Davila in 1945 and the couple had two sons: Lewis Jr. – whom they nicknamed “Butch” – and Joseph.

*Lewis “Butch” Magruder Jr. poses on an airplane wing, circa 1956.*

Butch and his dad were very close. Magruder and business partner H.G. Wolff operated West Indies Airways, a small air taxi service, and Butch would sometimes accompany his father when he delivered mail and cargo around the region.

“He would show me how to fly,” Butch says. “He told me how to keep a certain altitude and things like that. One time we flew over St. Croix to take some [aerial] photos. He opened the window and told me to guide the plane to the left while he took pictures.”

When Puerto Rico International Airport (now Luis Muñoz Marín Airport) was inaugurated on May 22, 1955, Butch and his dad flew there from nearby Isla Grande – formerly Puerto Rico’s main airport. “We flew in a Mooney Mite plane,” Butch says of the light single-engine craft. “It only had one seat so I had to sit on his lap.”

PAYING TRIBUTE

Following the crash in Montserrat, Magruder’s body was flown to Puerto Rico that afternoon. Two days after, on Wednesday, May 15, 1957, he was buried at Puerto Rico National Cemetery in Bayamón.

“I remember the funeral,” Butch says. “They had the flag on his coffin and they folded it up and gave it to us. They had a 21-gun salute. Some of the pilots who worked for my dad did a flyover.”

Butch says his mother grieved for her husband and was never the same. Butch, his mother and brother Joe – who was 5 years old – eventually moved in with Camelia’s mother.

“Life changed totally for my mom,” he says. “She dedicated her life to taking care of us.”

As for West Indies Airways, Butch says a family friend took over management for a while, and eventually the business was gone. There was no family settlement that he knows of.

“I was a kid so I’m not sure what happened,” he says. “My mom never got involved with the business after my dad died. I don’t think she wanted anything to do with airplanes because it would remind her about what happened to him.”

Butch had developed an interest in flying due to his experiences with his dad. He thought he might at least inherit one of his dad’s planes, but it never came to pass. As he entered his late teens he wanted to pursue a career in aviation but knew it would worry his mother, so he didn’t. Camelia never remarried after her husband’s death. In fact, Butch says his mother never even had a boyfriend.

On November 17, 1968, following a brief hospitalization, Camelia Magruder died at age 46. She had endured several health issues, but the underlying cause of her death could not be diagnosed medically: a broken heart.

“My mom was in the same funeral home where my dad was,” Butch says. “Before they closed the coffin I kissed her on the forehead. She was so cold. When I think of my mother I think of someone warm. At my dad’s funeral, when I saw him in the coffin he had a bump on his forehead [from the crash]. To this day, I can’t go to a funeral if there’s an open coffin. I stay outside. I don’t want to remember anyone else like that.”

*Lewis Magruder is shown with one of the cameras he used to take aerial photos.*

THE SON ALSO RISES

After losing both parents at a young age, Butch and Joe persevered with the help of their extended family. In 1966, Butch enlisted in the U.S. Army and served until 1972. Around the same time he earned his pilot’s license. But unlike his dad he didn’t fly for a living. He flew for fun, mostly fishing trips. On weekends he would rent a Cessna, and he, Joe and a couple friends would fly to Mona island – between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

For his main job, Butch worked for the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority for 33 years. In 1978 he joined the National Guard aviation unit. The following year, Hurricane David battered the Dominican Republic. A helicopter team featuring a pilot, co-pilot and Butch as crew chief delivered food and supplies to villages that were inaccessible due to mudslides.

The team also airlifted patients and assisted in repairing power lines. In 1998 when Hurricane Georges caused $3 billion in damages in Puerto Rico, the crew delivered electrical poles to the mountains of central Puerto Rico near Arecibo. As the helicopter hovered, Butch – while strapped to a monkey harness – would look downward from the open side door and instruct the pilot, who could not see directly below, where to place the poles. It was an extremely dangerous undertaking that required precision.

Butch’s brother Joe took a different career route. For more than 30 years he has worked for a food distribution company and is now one of the “head honchos” there, Butch says. Joe and wife Nery have been married for more than 40 years. Their daughter Kathy is a physician.

THE ‘CYCLE’ CONTINUES

Sixty-five years after the crash, Butch still has fond memories of his father, such as family outings and hanging out at Isla Grande Airport, where his dad’s aviation business was based. Joe has only faint memories of his dad. Once a month the family visits the gravesite of Lewis and Camelia, who were both interred in the same plot.

“It was hard growing up without my dad,” Butch says. “You feel more secure when you have your dad. And it was hard seeing other kids with their dads. But I had my grandmother and my uncles. I also became very close with my wife’s dad.”

In his personal life, Butch enjoys riding motorcycles and is a member of the Latin American Motorcycle Association (LAMA). He has not piloted a Cessna in more than two decades. Joe also likes motorcycles, and the brothers still get together for weekend rides.

*Lewis Magruder, above, was mainly a pilot but also liked motorcycles. His sons Butch, below left, and Joe (pictured with wife Nery) still enjoy riding, mostly on the weekends.*

Butch has never visited Montserrat. In the process of working and raising a family he never got around to seeing the island that became a second home to his father.

“I might still go there one day,” he says. “One of my daughters loves to travel and she suggested that we make it a family trip.”

Now retired, Butch’s main joy comes from his family. Butch and wife Maggie celebrated their 52nd anniversary in January. They have three children and three grandchildren (Sophia, Evan and Isabella). Their eldest daughter Yadira is a Certified Public Accountant, and their other daughter Jessica is an Emergency Room doctor. Their son is a musician and music producer who holds a master’s degree in communications.

He has a familiar name.

Lewis Magruder III.

1957: Plane crash at Waterwork Estate stuns Montserrat and claims the life of an aviation stalwart

By

EDWIN L. MARTIN

-

March 21, 2022

2

magruderplanewithinset — Photo courtesy Randy Greenaway
Locals surround Lewis Magruder's plane following a crash at Waterworks Estate. Magruder is pictured at upper right.

On Monday, May 13, 1957 at 8:30 a.m., Lewis Magruder took off from a dusty airstrip in Olveston village near Montserrat’s west coast. His single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza was a six-seater but Magruder was flying solo. His destination was Puerto Rico but he first headed in the opposite direction toward Waterwork Estate – about three miles southeast of Olveston. Magruder had a routine of “buzzing” the estate, which was home to the Hollender family. He would fly low, wave good-bye and sometimes snap photos from his lofty perch.

Since arriving on Montserrat four years earlier, Magruder had earned somewhat of a cult following and locals would shout his name as he zipped overhead. In those days a passing airplane was rare for the tiny British colony and attracted rapt attention. Magruder was an experienced pilot and United States Navy veteran. But even the most skilled aviators are not immune to errors or the whims of Mother Nature. Also, Magruder had only one functioning eye due to an injury he sustained some years earlier.

On this particular morning, Magruder faced another adversary: wind gusts typical of the Belham Valley that cradled the estate. As he made his customary jaunt over Waterwork, the plane clipped a palm tree. The light aircraft careened, grazed the estate house, slammed to the turf and flipped, losing one of its wings.

Kate Hollender, wife of estate owner Paul Hollender, heard the racket and rushed outside. Estate workers also ran toward the scene. Some children who were on their way to Cork Hill School – located about a mile south – heard the crash and raced to the site, crossing Belham River in the process. Police and first responders arrived as news spread throughout the 39-square-mile island.

Photo source: Wikipedia
*Map of central Montserrat shows areas of reference regarding Lewis Magruder’s crash.*
*Note: Areas below dashed red line are in exclusion zone today but were open in 1957.*

Photo courtesy Randy Greenaway
*Waterwork Estate circa 2010 shows the main house and signature palm trees.*

Magruder was pronounced dead and his body was transported to Glendon Hospital for postmortem. Cause of death was listed simply as “hemorrhage from lung and multiple injuries.” That afternoon Magruder’s body was flown to Puerto Rico, his residence at the time. The ace pilot’s life was over at age 40.

Many Montserratians mourned, even those who never met him personally. Some wept openly. They grieved his loss but also felt a semblance of guilt that his demise occurred on their island. They had heard stories on the radio about plane crashes around the world. But this one hit home. Magruder’s last flight was Montserrat’s first air fatality.

Five days after Magruder’s death, the Montserrat Observer published a tribute by Reverend C.L. Carty, an Anguilla-born Methodist minister who spent several years in Montserrat and knew Magruder well. Carty helped explain how Magruder arrived on the Emerald Isle.

WHO WAS LEWIS MAGRUDER?

Lewis Wallace Magruder was born March 1, 1917 in Landover, Maryland, U.S.A. He joined the Navy after high school and in 1942 during the midst of World War II he went to Puerto Rico as an aviation engineer. In 1945 he married Camelia Davila of San Germán, a community in southwest Puerto Rico. The couple had two boys, Lewis Jr. and Joseph.

Magruder also ran a flight school and in 1947 he formed West Indies Airways, a small air taxi service that transported mail, cargo and passengers. As a side job he snapped aerial photos for prospectors, estates and government agencies.

Photo courtesy John & Joan Castillo
*A young Lewis Magruder.*

DELISLE MEETS MAGRUDER

Frank Delisle – who eventually started Leeward Islands Air Transport (LIAT) – arrived in Montserrat in 1945 from his native St. Kitts and worked for Montserrat Company managing a fruit plantation in Olveston.

In 1948, Delisle’s wife experienced severe complications while in labor with the couple’s third child. She required a C-section. Delisle wanted to take her to Antigua for the delicate procedure, but travel to and from Montserrat was solely by sea. A 27-mile boat trip to Antigua would take hours. Delisle’s wife eventually delivered a healthy baby girl but Delisle decided at that point he would do everything to ensure Montserrat added an airline service.

Jeanne Delisle-Briggs, another of Delisle’s daughters, says her father traveled to White Plains, N.Y., to take flying lessons and obtain his pilot’s license. An airstrip was cut in Olveston but it was reportedly only about 800 feet long and featured an awkward decline at the takeoff end. Planes would moreso “fall off” the strip rather than take off, according to one witness. The unpaved strip also generated a cloud of dust during takeoffs and landings. Delisle needed an aviation adviser. A mutual friend highly recommended Magruder.

ARRIVING IN STYLE

In 1953, Magruder touched down in Olveston in a Cessna 170. He helped Delisle launch a limited flight service in 1954 but they realized the Olveston strip was not sustainable, especially after a botched takeoff destroyed the engine of one of the planes.

The Olveston strip was eventually closed for commercial flying and a search began for an ideal airfield. When choosing an airport site, many factors are considered, including wind, obstructions, visibility, soil and drainage. Montserrat’s hilly terrain made this a challenge.

A British firm of engineers began surveying Trant’s Estate in the east but reportedly quit after their demand for more money was turned down. According to Reverend Carty, Magruder stepped in and conducted extensive aerial and ground work at no cost to the government. In late 1954 the site was approved as the home of Montserrat’s new airport.

The airfield was named in honor of Sir Kenneth Blackburne, then governor of the Leeward Islands. When Mr. Blackburne flew in for the official opening in October of 1956, Magruder was his pilot. That year also marked the official opening of LIAT – with Magruder as lead pilot the first few weeks. The Olveston strip remained open but only as a private airfield, thus the reason Magruder took off from there that fateful morning in 1957.

Archive photo
*Frank Delisle launched LIAT Airlines in 1956.*

GETTING ACQUAINTED

Due to his association with Delisle, “Mac” made many friends in Montserrat, including a family close to the Delisles: the Hollenders. Other than Paul Hollender and wife Kate, he met their children Basil, Brian and Betty. While in Montserrat, Magruder often stayed with the Delisle family but also lodged with the Hollenders.

Waterwork Estate, nestled on the southern slopes of Montserrat’s Centre Hills, is a prominent and unique plantation that goes back to the 17th century. A flowing spring ran through the estate, yielding natural irrigation. Waterwork was a fertile harvesting spot for ground provisions – especially dasheen and sweet potatoes – and rare local crops such as watercress. Even rice was cultivated at one time. In earlier years the estate grew sugar cane and produced sugar, molasses, syrup and alcohol.

Folks who lived and worked in the area said Magruder would always fly over the estate and wave good-bye to the Hollenders when leaving the island. Delisle’s daughter Jeanne says Magruder would also fly over their home in Olveston and bid farewell.

Brian Hollender was 10 years old on the tragic day but remembers it well.

“I was at school when it happened,” he says. “A few days earlier my mother told Mac she had a bad dream and that he should not fly [low] over the estate. He actually died in my mother’s arms.”

Photo courtesy Brian Hollender
*Brian Hollender was 10 years old when Lewis Magruder crashed at Waterwork*.

MEMORIES OF ‘MAC’

Sixty-five years after the tragedy, many still recall Magruder fondly.

Delisle’s daughter Jeanne says Magruder always brought treats when he arrived from Puerto Rico, including dozens of bottles of Coca-Cola, hot dogs, American bread and other novelty items that were not available in Montserrat.

“Coca-Cola was only in the glass bottle at that time,” she says. “He would bring them to Montserrat and share with all his friends. After we drank them he would take the bottles back to Puerto Rico. When he crashed, a bunch of those empty Coke bottles were on the plane and they shattered and [caused some of his injuries].”

Johnny Howes, a mere lad at the time of the crash, says Magruder attended his birthday party the day before the incident.

“The party was at Carr’s Bay,” says Howes, a longtime boat captain and tour guide. “We roasted marshmallows. He hugged me and told me it was the best birthday party he had ever been to. Could you imagine as a child hearing that and then the next day you hear he’s dead?”

The Right Honourable Austin Bramble, Montserrat’s Chief Minister from 1970 to 1978, met Magruder in 1956. Bramble, who was working for an oil refinery in Curacao, returned to Montserrat briefly that year. He took a flight from Willemstad to St. Kitts, and Magruder then flew him to Montserrat.

“It was just me and him on the plane,” says Bramble, now 91. “He seemed like a nice fellow. We landed at Blackburne. At that time it was just a grass strip.”

Ironically, in 1995 Blackburne Airport was renamed to honor William H. Bramble, Austin Bramble’s father and Montserrat’s first Chief Minister.

Photo courtesy of El Mundo (Puerto Rico)
*Lewis Magruder and wife Camelia.*

‘HE LOVED THIS ISLAND’

About eight hours after Magruder’s crash, a 16-seater, four-engine Heron De Havilland aircraft landed safely at Blackburne to the cheers of spectators. It was the largest aircraft at that point in time to land in Montserrat. It was a seminal moment that Magruder helped bring to fruition but one he sadly missed.

“Montserrat owes him a tremendous debt,” Carty wrote in his tribute. “He loved this island and its people.”

Magruder’s death devastated Frank Delisle, who not only lost his best pilot and business partner but a close friend.

“He was heartbroken,” Jeanne says of her father, who eventually forged on and transformed LIAT into the leading air carrier in the Caribbean. Delisle passed away in 2002.

On Wednesday, May 15, 1957, Magruder was buried at Puerto Rico National Cemetery in Bayamón with full military honors. Eleven years later his wife Camelia died at age 46 and was laid to rest next to him.

Photo from MyHeritage.com
*Lewis Magruder’s grave in Puerto Rico National Cemetery.*

Magruder’s damaged plane was stored in an old shed in Olveston for a while, then dumped into a nearby ravine that is now rife with volcanic ash.

On September 17, 1965 a Pan Am jet crashed at Chances Peak in southern Montserrat, claiming 30 lives. Due to its magnitude, that incident relegated the Magruder crash to a virtual footnote locally.

A monument was erected in the Plymouth public cemetery to honor the Pan Am victims.

Sadly, there is no memorial on Montserrat for Lewis Magruder.

Click here to read Part 2 about how the tragedy affected Magruder’s family in Puerto Rico.

Aircraft fatalities on Montserrat

Date	Craft	Site	Victim(s)
5/13/57	Bonanza	Waterwork	Lewis Magruder
9/17/65	Boeing 707	Chances Peak	30 (Click for story and list)
3/7/78	Cessna	Blackburne	Denise Apperley, Jose Chovino, M. Paul Canavy
5/31/81	Piper Aztec	Blackburne	Orel Payne
5/3/86	Cessna	Bottomless Ghaut	Len Kocen, Pat Kocen, Bradley King

[give_form id=”4772″]

Reversal of fortune: Montserrat legend Errol Eid’s fascinating life is now defined by struggle

By

EDWIN L. MARTIN

-

March 7, 2022

18

Errol Briggs Eid — Photo courtesy ZJB Radio Spirit of Montserrat
Errol Eid is pictured during "Rhythm Night" as part of St. Patrick's celebrations in Montserrat in March of 2019.

Errol Eid grimaces as he slowly reclines his aching and aging body onto a sofa. The simple process of lying down has become a chore. These days Eid feels every bit of his 75 years – plus a few more – as he struggles with mobility, propped up by two aluminum crutches and an abundance of pride.

“I take about five different medications and I’m still in pain,” says Eid, who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, scoliosis and poor circulation in his legs.

His current residence – a “jungle” cabin in Woodlands, Montserrat – was provided as a temporary favor so he can have a roof over his head. The place, once owned by John Wall of the Plymouth business family, is a stone’s throw from the home of Cedric and Carol Osborne, Eid’s longtime friends. Eid visits the Osbornes daily to watch TV and enjoy good company. The couple has served as Eid’s unofficial caretakers as he awaits a Warden Assisted apartment in Lookout Village.

It is quite a downturn for the diminutive Eid, who once lived large. He was gifted with musical and artistic skill and a powerful family of business owners. But he squandered the fortune bequeathed to him by a doting mother. Today, health has superseded wealth as priority in Eid’s life as he tries – in more ways than one – to get back on his feet.

Talk to those who know him best and they say Eid is a virtual dichotomy – prodigal but personable, a flawed genius. Like a boy who never grew up Eid has been a benevolent beatnik, a happy hippie, a local legend. Even in his current fragile state a tinge of arrogance surfaces. Asked if he ever held a job in Montserrat, he retorts: “Why would I work for somebody when I have more money than them?”

Other times he shows a vulnerable side. He bemoans the fact that none of his family members across the Caribbean have phoned to check on his well-being.

Asked if it’s hurtful, he responds, “Well, naturally,” as he fights back tears.

It’s a far cry from a time when Eid and his family earned legendary status in Montserrat.

Annie Eid photo courtesy “The Watts Collection”
*From left: Annie Eid; an ad for the Eid family business in the Montserrat Standard newspaper March 19, 1952; and Lindy Eid.*

‘WE ARE NOT SYRIAN’

The Eid family story and its migration to Montserrat must begin with a clarification.

“We are not Syrian,” Errol says. “We are Lebanese. People confuse Syria and Lebanon all the time.” The confusion is understandable. The two countries were one nation until 1943. Errol’s paternal grandfather was the first member of the family to reach Montserrat.

Says Errol: “I was told that he was just passing through but the people were so friendly that he decided to stay. His English was not very good. Our family name is actually ‘Aide’ [pronounced Ah-Yeed]. When he told them his name they thought he said, ‘I Eid’ and they registered him that way. He sent for his children and they were also registered as Eid.”

One of those children was George Eid, Errol’s father. George’s brothers were John, Anthony (better known as “Hashie”), Emmanuel, Solomon and Faiz. Errol’s mother, Annie, was born in St. Kitts. She was a member of the Coury family that owns several businesses there. One of those businessmen – the late Leroy Coury – was also a well-known cricket player (spin bowler) for St. Kitts and Leeward Islands.

Annie moved to Montserrat and married George Eid. Their first child, Lindy Anthony Eid, was born in 1930. Errol says his mother then lost at least five children – some in childbirth, others shortly after birth. So when Errol was born in 1947 and survived, it was a profound blessing. And it explains why he was a child of immense privilege.

Photo courtesy Randy Greenaway
*The variety store run by Annie Eid, located on Parliament Street in Plymouth, is pictured during the 1960s.*

A BUSINESS FAMILY

At one point at least five members of the Eid family operated businesses in Plymouth. One of their first shops, run by George and John Eid, was located on Parliament Street at the future home of Royal Bank of Canada, across from the “Mary G. Pond” shop. The brothers were dubbed “Mooshay George” and “Mooshay John” (Mooshay means “Mister” or “Sir”).

The Eids were not just business owners. They were pioneers. Emmanuel opened the Rialto Theater, Montserrat’s first cinema. Lindy introduced Montserrat to the juke box in the 1950s. He imported dozens of them and placed them in bars and other establishments around the island, splitting the proceeds with the proprietors. Lindy also ran the “New York Store” on Strand Street. “Hashie” owned a variety store that was the main depot for fowl feed, notably “Grow-inna” and “Lay-inna” – the names literally explaining their purpose. Hashie’s son, Joseph Eid, also became synonymous with the store.

In the early years several members of the family shared a home in Plymouth. The Eids were devoutly Catholic and would fill up the first two rows during service at St. Patrick’s Church in George Street.

In 1949, George Eid passed away. Says Errol: “Even though I was only two and a half years old I still remember seeing him lying in the coffin in our house.” After George Eid died, Annie married George’s brother John. Explained Errol: “The priest told my mother it was not proper for her to live in a house with a man and they’re not married.”

Annie and John ran a variety store at the intersection of Parliament and Harney streets. They sold flour, sugar and other dry goods plus a wide array of textiles. The store was downstairs and the residence upstairs. It was close to the old police station and across from Esso gas station and the public market. That is the home where Errol grew up and started his first business.

Photo courtesy John Perkins
Errol Eid, far right on guitar, is pictured in the 1960s with the band Blue Rhythms. Members included, from left, Nigel Thomas, Lorenzo Cassell, Joseph “Lamdam” Edwards, Otwell Maloney and John Perkins (behind Eid).

THE BOY WONDER

Errol admits he was a pampered child.

“My mother spoiled me,” he says candidly. “Anything I wanted I got.”

But he was also profoundly talented. By his early teens Errol could play several musical instruments, including the drums, guitar, piano and ukulele. He was self-taught.

There is a funny story about Errol’s mother once hiring calypsonian James “Tangler” Lee to teach Errol to play the guitar. Lee arrived at the Eid home for the lesson, but just minutes later he was seen walking off. Annie Eid asked Lee if the lesson was over so quickly. Lee replied: “Di li boy know more than me.”

One of Errol’s first bands was Blue Rhythms, formed around 1963. His fellow members included Justin and Lorenzo Cassell, both former calypso monarchs and the brothers of soca legend Alphonsus “Arrow” Cassell.

“We were a very good band,” says Lorenzo Cassell, who played trumpet. “I remember one year Laviscount Brass came down from Antigua and a lot of Antiguans came down for their show. When they heard our band they came to see us instead.”

Cassell not only recalls Errol’s talent with the guitar but also his frivolity with money.

“One day he said to me, ‘Let’s go to Trinidad to buy some instruments,’ ” Cassell says. “He went to his mother and she gave him about $15,000. When we got to Trinidad, Errol was walking around with the cash in his hand. I said, ‘Man, put that away!’ “

To illustrate how much $15,000 was worth in the mid-1960s consider that William H. Bramble, Montserrat’s Chief Minister at the time, earned $9,600 . . . a year.

Errol is asked if Cassell’s recollection is truly accurate – that his mom gave him a whopping $15,000 all at once. He quickly issues a correction: “I think it was more.”

Errol, who later formed a steel band called The Flaming Recoils, was also artistic. He designed winning costumes for several Festival queens, including Rose Willock (1965), Florence Allen (1966), Daisy Kirnon (1967) and Leona Tuitt (1968).

“I won Best Costume about six times,” he says. “My mother told me to drop out and give someone else a chance. Designing came natural to me.”

By the way, Errol is also known as “Briggs” – a nickname he got from his friend Desmond Taylor. “One day I was at his garage and I was walking all around the shop. He said to me, ‘Who are you, Mr. Briggs?’ ” Errol says it was likely a reference to Briggs & Stratton, the company that produces engines for power equipment.

Photo courtesy Randy Greenaway
*Errol Eid receives an award for his matador costume and performance at Sturge Park on Boxing Day 1966.*

ERROL’S DISCO

In the mid-1960s Errol converted a storage room at the back of his mother’s store into a nightclub he called Errol’s Disco. He traveled to New York and Puerto Rico to purchase the lighting and sound equipment. The club also featured a live band. The entire venture was bankrolled by his mother.

Already possessing a knack for decoration, Errol turned the disco into a hot spot that drew patrons from around the region. It featured a popular section called “The Dungeon” in which light was projected only up to knee level, leaving the rest of the room dark. “The Dungeon” became a den of hedonism. “A lot of craziness went on in there,” Errol says.

John Wilson, who grew up in the Plymouth area and was a longtime proprietor in town, recalls the disco.

“It was amazing,” Wilson says. “Errol used ordinary things like egg cartons to decorate. He had strobe lights. His disco was comparable to anything in the region.”

Errol was creative. For instance, when the DJ played the hit song Dizzy by Tommy Roe, the strobe lights would create an effect that actually made the patrons dizzy.

*Errol Eid plays the drums in an undated photo. Eid taught himself to play several musical instruments.*

Errol’s club was lucrative but he lacked financial discipline and prudence. Like a typical young man he treated himself with toys.

“At one time I had about six or seven cars,” says Errol, who also fancied motorcycles. “I had a speedboat. I went to Trinidad and had it specially built. I bought the hull and they fixed it up. I used to drive the boat from Montserrat to Antigua in 50 minutes. I used to drive it to other places like Guadeloupe and St. Kitts.”

As for his schooling, Errol attended St. Augustine Catholic School and then the Montserrat Secondary School. In 1964 he attended Marathon High School in the Florida Keys while residing with a family friend. During his senior year at Marathon he visited Montserrat for Christmas and never went back. That marked the end of his formal education.

Change came about in the early 1970s. Errol rented out the disco, and when Lindy opened a nightclub in Gingoes called Jerry’s Drive-In (later Maximus), Errol sold all his musical instruments to Lindy, allowing his brother to have a live band. It was the era of local bands such as Calibre Nine, Aquarius, Libra One and Livewires.

“A lot of the instruments the bands used in the 1970s were my old instruments,” says Errol, who has also been generous in sponsoring instruments to local musicians over the years.

*Errol Eid and mother Annie, circa 1970s.*

ERROL LOSES HIS ‘ANGEL’

During the 1980s Errol continued his life of luxury and privilege. He sported a ponytail and a six-pack. He hung out at Air Studios, the beach and other popular spots, hobnobbing with expatriates and locals alike.

“I never worked,” he admits. “Anything I wanted I would go to my mother, even for food.”

In 1993, Annie Eid suffered a leg injury and was placed in traction at Glendon Hospital. Her situation took a turn for the worse when she fell off her bed one day. She developed gangrene and passed away April 14, 1993. The matriarch was 86 years old.

“My mom was an angel,” Errol says. “She used to go to church seven days a week. She almost lived there. She was kind to everybody.”

Years earlier, Annie bought houses in Old Towne for Errol and Lindy.

“My mother had the first two houses in Old Towne,” Errol says. “I sold one to a Canadian. I got about $500,000 for it. I got way more than I expected.”

That half-million is now history, as is the speedboat and other items Errol acquired during the height of his wealth. The volcanic eruption in the mid-1990s also destroyed what was left of the Eid businesses and properties in the Plymouth area.

In the late 1990s Errol relocated to Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands. He teamed with local club owner Foxy Callwood, touring and playing music. “I was there for 15 years,” Errol says. Foxy played the guitar and sang, and Errol played keyboards. They played many yacht clubs, including Nantucket and Marblehead in Massachusetts.

Errol later spent time in London and could often be found at Ridley Market with fellow Montserratians.

Photo courtesy Randy Greenaway
*Errol Eid, right, and Gus White travel to Cuba for Carifesta in July of 1979 as part of The Mighty Arrow’s contingent. Eid played drums for Arrow at the event.*

EMBARRASSMENT OF RICHES

Errol has lived a carefree lifestyle for decades. He raced cars, raced motorcycles. He has been married twice. The first union – to a Canadian expat in the late 1970s – lasted only three weeks. “She started talking some nonsense so I divorced her,” he says casually. His second marriage is still ongoing – technically. His wife and step-children reside in Birmingham, UK. Asked why they are apart, Errol – who has no biological children – simply says: “Well, they don’t need me now.”

Despite Errol’s capricious existence, his friends say there has been one constant. He has always been down to earth.

“Even when I was rich I would hang out with poor people on the streets,” Errol says.

He also has a wry sense of humor. Errol was once busted in Montserrat for planting marijuana on his property and fined $2,000. Livid, he paid the entire fine in coins.

“I paid them in ha’pennies and pennies,” he says. “They wanted work to do . . . so I gave them work. I used to be disgusting like that. If you did something to me I would react.”

Errol is the last surviving member of the Eid business dynasty from Plymouth. Lindy died in 2017 in a nursing home in the UK. Much of the family wealth is gone. It is a sad realization for a once-affluent clan.

Now pained and penniless, Errol relies on the charity of old friends for survival. He also depends on government assistance. Due to his physical condition driving is not recommended. His derelict car is up for sale.

He is asked if he has any regrets.

He utters a defiant chuckle.

“None,” he says.

*Errol Eid is interviewed on February 17, 2022. In center photo he winces in pain.*

Editor’s note: This story was published March 7, 2022. Errol Eid died June 11, 2023.

Bata Shoe Store became a staple in Montserrat and vital part of culture

By

EDWIN L. MARTIN

-

February 20, 2022

4

batastoremontserrat — Photo courtesy Randy Greenaway
Bata Shoe Store was located on Parliament Street in the heart of Plymouth. Above is a photo circa 1950s.

During the first half of the 20th century Montserratians were limited in footwear options. The variety stores in Plymouth offered very little variety in shoes, which were secondary items. For the less fortunate, there were cobblers who made shoes from scratch. But whether retail or rustic, the designs were basic and the styles were static.

That changed when Bata Shoe Store opened its doors in Plymouth in 1947. For almost four decades the store at the intersection of Parliament and Houston streets was a favorite destination. The trendy shoes, friendly staff, affordable prices and welcoming aroma of leather, rubber and suede solidified Bata’s place in Montserrat society.

Bata, a family business, began in 1894 in Czechoslovakia. In 1939 the company relocated to Canada upon learning that Hitler and the Nazis planned to invade Czechoslovakia. For decades to come, Bata’s main headquarters would be in Ontario.

Bata reached the West Indies in the early 1930s, with branches opening in Jamaica and Trinidad. Bata then made its way to the smaller islands, including Montserrat. The company needed a local agent, and M.S. Osborne was the island’s leading businessman. He added Bata to his expanding business portfolio. Montserrat was now “in tings” – boasting an international franchise in the heart of its capital.

Photo courtesy The Montserrat Reporter
*Cedric Osborne managed Bata from 1954 to 1967.*

BIG SHOES TO FILL

Two notable figures during the early days of Bata in Montserrat were manager Moses “Brother” Tuitt, who hailed from Farms but lived in George Street, and “Bata” Ben White of Fort Barrington. In 1954, Cedric Osborne – son of M.S. Osborne – became manager at 18 years old when Tuitt migrated. He remembers some of the duties of being an agent for the global giant.

“We used to get the shoes from England but Bata’s regional office was in Jamaica,” Osborne says. “We had to send reports by cable to them regularly regarding which products were selling well and which ones were not.”

Added Osborne, chuckling: “They would also send cables to us requesting information. If we didn’t answer in a timely manner they made us pay for the cable.”

*A Bata ad appears in the Montserrat Observer newspaper on September 1, 1956.*

When M.S. Osborne died in 1967, Cedric Osborne left Bata and became manager at the Vue Pointe Hotel, which was built by his father in 1961. Before he left he hired a young man who would become synonymous with Bata in the 1970s and ’80s: Carlisle Duberry.

“When I hired Carlisle he was a cleaner and he would also stack the shoe boxes,” Osborne says. “When I left to go to Vue Pointe they brought in someone from St. Kitts to run the place and then Carlisle later became manager.”

Photo courtesy Ursula Petula Barzey
*Carlisle Duberry managed Bata for more than a decade. When the company left he continued the business under the name Carlisle’s Shoe Center.*

POPULAR SHOES

Bata earned fame for its popular “soft-walker” shoes, Jelly’s – which were dubbed “Sh*t Mashers” – and flip-flops (rubber slippers). Sales were especially brisk in late August as children prepared for the new school year.

Gracelyn Williams-Carty worked at Bata from 1978 to 1983. She recalls the flurry of activity as parents flocked for shoes.

“The black loafers and Speed-Rite sneakers were popular,” she says. “Bata was the place to be in those days. I didn’t think of the people as customers. It was like family.”

Owning shoes from Bata was prestigious for the underprivileged, and some took steps to make sure they lasted. Some boys would wear their “soft-walkers” to school, then take them off after school and walk home barefooted.

Tony Maloney’s family lived on the second floor of the building in which Bata was located. He recalls the impact of Bata and how it changed the paradigm in Montserrat.

“People were happy that they could go to one place and get their shoes,” says Maloney, who worked for many years in the Department of Agriculture. “To sit in a chair and have someone attend to you, it meant something. It was something that was cherished.”

*“Bata Bullets” were some of the “soft-walker” shoes that became popular.*

*Jelly’s (“Sunflash”) were also common at Bata.*

*The omnipresent flip-flops (rubber slippers).*

As its popularity grew, the Bata brand gained local prestige. Bata sponsored a local cricket team – the Bata Falcons – in the early 1970s. Bata ads were prominent on Radio Montserrat as listeners eagerly awaited the latest sale. Another popular feature at Bata: each year during the Christmas Festival, photos of the Queen Show contestants were displayed in the main window. Bata often sponsored a pair of shoes to the winner.

As for the daily operations, Williams-Carty says the store had to follow guidelines mandated by Bata, mainly a focus on customer service. The staff would cater to patrons, seating them, assisting them in trying on shoes and even patiently lacing up their sneakers.

“There was a Bata handbook,” Williams-Carty says. “We were told to measure the customers’ feet but we got to know some of them so well that we already knew their size. We also sold other items like socks, panty hose, pocket books, shoe polish and shoe dye.”

*Former Bata employee Gracelyn Williams-Carty*

NOVELTY WEARS OFF

The Bata phenomenon hit a snag in the 1980s. As with any company, the bottom line – profit margin – takes top priority. A combination of factors led to Bata closing its stores in the Caribbean, including the Montserrat branch in 1985. Competition and production costs hampered the company. Also, the rise of Nike, Reebok, adidas and Puma usurped Bata’s slow-evolving catalog. In Montserrat, stores such as Arrow’s Man Shop and Johnnie’s Mecca Fashions sold shoes, further weakening Bata’s once-stranglehold on the local shoe market.

When Bata left, Duberry renamed the store Carlisle’s Shoe Center and took over ownership. “Bata used to still send shoes to me,” he says. “And I started selling other items like women’s clothes.”

Carlisle’s Shoe Center remained open in Plymouth until the volcanic crisis in 1995. The store relocated to Cork Hill – Duberry’s home village – and later to Sweeney’s, across from Tropical Mansion Suites. It closed for good after Duberry migrated to England in 2005.

Although Bata does not wield the international clout it once commanded, it remains popular in markets such as India and Pacific Rim countries that provide cheap labor. Bata’s time in Montserrat is now merely a memory, but for many they are fond memories.

Says Duberry, the longtime manager: “The salary was good and I got to do a lot of traveling to places like Trinidad and Barbados.”

Williams-Carty enjoyed the entire experience: “Sometimes people used to stop by the store and hang out even if they weren’t buying shoes. They would stop by to just chat and relax in the [comfortable] chairs. I liked my co-workers, I liked the customers, we got paid commission and Carlisle was a good manager. I have pleasant memories that I will always cherish.”

*Bata sponsored its own local cricket team, the Bata Falcons, pictured circa 1974 with manager Carlisle Duberry, far left.*

Montserrat’s Daisy Nanton turns 100: ‘I’m not lucky. I’m blessed.’

By

EDWIN L. MARTIN

-

February 7, 2022

3

missdaisyphotoinred — Daisy Nanton says her faith is the main reason for her long life. "I'm a staunch Roman Catholic. God has been good to me."

On her 100^th birthday Daisy Nanton participated in a Zoom call with 45 friends and family members who tuned in from Montserrat, Canada, England, St. Kitts and several other places. Donning a spiffy red blazer, pearl earrings and sleek sunglasses, she sat in a gold-trimmed chair that resembled a throne.

“You look great, Miss Daisy,” one Zoom participant declared. “You look like a queen!”

“I do?” she asked semi-bashfully. “Well, I try. It’s the makeup. I don’t go anywhere without my lipstick.”

Miss Daisy’s cousin Claudina Piper-Drayton – on a video call from Trinidad – thanked her for being a mentor. “After my mother passed away when I was 13 you taught me to sew, you taught me to cook. You were a great role model,” said Claudina, now 92.

For more than an hour Miss Daisy held court from her Baltimore home, cracking jokes and exchanging stories. No one could have ever guessed she was recovering from COVID-19. She tested positive four days before her birthday. It was ironic that fate dealt her one final hurdle on the way to her prestigious centennial.

“I was scared because my cousin in Antigua recently passed away from COVID,” she says. “I said, ‘Lord, my birthday is coming up.’ But I’m feeling much better.”

Centenarians are often asked about their secret to long life. Some cite healthy living. Miss Daisy says she eats “whatever I like” and admits to a weakness for chocolate. She “loves” champagne and enjoys an occasional Guinness.

It’s her devout faith, she says, that’s her main sustenance. “I’m a staunch Roman Catholic.”

Miss Daisy has survived two major hurricanes (1924 and 1928), a near-death experience in 1953 and a serious car accident decades later. She has met Queen Elizabeth and shared cocktails with cricket legend Sir Garfield Sobers. She has run her own business and worked for others. She raised five children, adopted a goddaughter, and had a 58-year marriage that ended when her husband passed away in 1999. She has outlived her six siblings even though she was the eldest.

Her fascinating journey has been defined by resilience, humor, gratitude and – as she proudly proclaims – divine providence.

EARLY YEARS

Miss Daisy was born Daisy Cynthia Dyer on January 28, 1922 in Montserrat. She was the first of seven children born to Patrick and Josephine “Josie” Dyer (nee’ Browne). Her siblings (in order) were Fred, Alice, Josie, Halmond, Edna and Ruby.

“I was a breech baby,” Miss Daisy says. “My mother told me I would be lucky.”

The family lived across from Glendon Hospital in Upper George Street in an area that was once part of Dagenham Estate. Mr. Dyer was a manager at the estate – which produced Sea Island cotton – and also a preacher. Mrs. Dyer was a housewife.

On September 12, 1928, Montserrat was struck by a Category 4 hurricane that killed 42 people on the island (1,100 perished in Guadeloupe, according to reports). Although she was only 6 years old Miss Daisy remembers the storm vividly.

“A lot of the houses in Ryner’s Village got blown away and many people came to our house for shelter. My sister Edna was only 6 months old, and they had to tie her to my mother so she would not get blown away. My father believed we were all going to die and he started preaching the funeral [rites].”

The family survived, then relocated to St. Kitts in 1933 when Miss Daisy’s father was reassigned there to oversee a sugar plantation. The following year Miss Daisy injured her shoulder in a fall and was taken by boat from St. Kitts to Dominica, the closest island that had an X-ray machine. She eventually healed. The Dyers returned to Montserrat in 1938 when Miss Daisy was 16. She had completed secondary school in St. Kitts.

*Jim and Daisy Nanton pose with their families on their wedding day in December of 1940 at St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church on George Street in Montserrat.*

At age 18 she married James “Jim” Nanton, a sales clerk at M.S. Osborne Ltd. The couple had five children – all girls: Cynthia (aka Patty), Pamela, Joy, Carol (aka Toni) and Kathy.

Asked if she was a strict mother, Miss Daisy said only in certain areas. “I believe in manners and etiquette,” she says. “Also they had to say their prayers and do well in school.”

In 1953, Miss Daisy was a member of the Netball Association. A regional tournament was held in Montserrat and she was assigned to take care of the squad from Grenada. One day she visited the team at its quarters near Jubilee Town. She requested a cup of coffee. After she drank it she began feeling unwell and eventually passed out. A doctor was summoned. When he checked Miss Daisy’s vital signs she had no pulse. He gave her an injection and she regurgitated and improved but still felt sick for some time.

“I had to go to Barbados to see another doctor. It took me a year to catch myself. To this day I have no idea what was in that coffee,” says Miss Daisy, who believes whatever happened was purely accidental. “It must have been something I was allergic to.”

ROYAL VISIT

Around 1952 Miss Daisy opened a small business on George Street in which she sold mostly women’s garments. She also dabbled in making hats – a craft she saw one of her aunts perform – but didn’t take it seriously at first. However in 1955 during a visit to New York she took a class in hat design at the Traphagen School of Fashion in Manhattan. Her visitor’s visa expired before she could complete the course, so she returned to Montserrat. But by that time she had learned the basics and eventually became proficient.

On January 6, 1966, a fire on George Street destroyed several businesses, including Miss Daisy’s shop. Making matters worse she had no insurance. But she caught a big break just a month later when Queen Elizabeth visited Montserrat. “They had luncheons and different events and the women were always required to wear hats,” Miss Daisy explains.

She ended up making many of those hats, and the financial boost allowed her to re-open her shop. She also got to meet the Queen during an exhibition fair at Hyde Park in Harris Village.

“I was part of the YWCA and we had a booth at the fair,” she says. “The Queen walked by, then turned around and came straight over to me. I was dumbfounded. She asked me a few questions about the YWCA. She was very pretty and her skin was so beautiful.”

CHANGE OF SCENERY

In the late 1960s Miss Daisy was hired as a manager at Olveston House, a guest inn that also featured a gourmet restaurant. Olveston House later gained fame as the residence of renowned Beatles producer and Air Studios founder Sir George Martin. “I worked there for 10 years,” she says. “Then one day I found out the place was sold. I left and went to Connecticut in early 1979 and spent time with my daughter Patty.”

While in Connecticut, Miss Daisy applied for permanent residency and was stunned when her visa application was approved in a mere few months. On a whim she visited a local department store in Hartford and asked for an application.

“I had never filled out an application in my life,” she says. “They hired me on the spot, trained me for about two weeks and paid me. The store was called G. Fox.”

A year later Miss Daisy moved to Baltimore, where her daughter Joy resided. She got a job at a department store called Lexington Lady and also worked for a time as an in-home caretaker.

Her husband eventually joined her in Baltimore, where he died at age 94. In recent years Miss Daisy has split time with her daughters, including Pam, who operated Carib World Travel in Montserrat starting in 1973, then relocated to Antigua following the volcanic eruption in the 1990s.

*Daisy Nanton is pictured during a Zoom call for her 100th birthday January 28, 2022.*

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE

In 2021, a study revealed that of the 7.8 billion people on earth, only about 316,000 were centenarians. Miss Daisy says she never thought she would reach the milestone, but she is eternally grateful. Best of all she is still lucid with a great memory.

Miss Daisy has also been a study in resourcefulness. She made wedding dresses for her daughters Pam and Joy – “I used peau de soie fabric [matte satin]” – and also designed the evening gown Pam wore in 1963 when she was crowned Montserrat’s Festival Queen. She also chaperoned 1965 Festival queen Rose Willock, who calls Miss Daisy “my second mother.”

Once an avid traveler, Miss Daisy lives a quiet life these days. She has seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. She has a Facebook account and speaks daily via What’s App. She has made countless friends due to her congenial personality and positive attitude.

“I don’t let much worry me,” says Miss Daisy, who concedes that like all God’s children she has her faults, the biggest being the art of forgiveness.

“If someone does me a kindness, I never forget,” she says. “But if they do me something bad I don’t forget either, especially if it’s very hurtful. I have to work on that.”

She says one of the worst aspects of getting older is losing loved ones. Of the 18 people in her wedding photo only she and her cousin Claudina are still around.

Asked if luck has played a role in her longevity, Miss Daisy said:

“I think we create our own luck. I plan my life through the Holy Spirit. This might sound strange but if I have something bothering me I hear a voice – not an actual voice but a [spiritual message] – telling me what to do. God has been good to me.”

“I’m not lucky,” she says. “I’m blessed.”

*Miss Daisy with great granddaughters Emily and Zoe Dennis on her 98th birthday in 2020. In the background is Miss Daisy’s daughter Joy.*

Opinion: The Voice delivers wake-up call to rivals as he defends Montserrat calypso crown

By

EDWIN L. MARTIN

-

December 30, 2021

1

IMG-20211230-WA0000 — Keithroy "The Voice" Morson won his fifth Montserrat calypso monarch title and defended his crown.

He received a rude awakening in the first round . . . then left his defeated opponents in his wake.

Keithroy “The Voice” Morson fended off a valiant challenge from Roland “King Kenzie” Johnson on Wednesday, December 29, 2021, to retain his Montserrat calypso crown and secure bragging rights in a much-hyped rivalry.

Unlike last year when the show was a virtual affair due to COVID-19, the Montserrat Cultural Center featured an audience this time, albeit with social distancing. And the crowd was treated to one of the most entertaining Finals in years.

The Voice, who earned $10,500 for the win, accomplished two major milestones:

▪ He is the first to repeat as Montserrat calypso monarch since Anderson “King Andy” Kirnon in 2005.

▪ He captured his fifth overall crown in Montserrat, tying Everton “Reality” Weekes for second-most all time behind Justin “Hero” Cassell’s 10 titles.

The Voice garnered 1,395 points – 26 more than three-time monarch Kenzie, who earned $7,500. Newcomer Kimani “Proklaimer” Kirnon was third, followed by Steve “Iceman” Weekes and Herman “Cupid” Francis.

“Kenzie raised the fire in me,” Morson told Radio Montserrat the morning after his victory. “Not since Antigua have I felt this type of anxiety and pressure.”

The “anxiety” came in the first round when Kenzie, in his first Finals since 2012 and singing at position No. 5, delivered his first song Come Back And Sing. It was a routine performance until Kenzie threw in an extra verse aimed directly at The Voice. It was met with resounding applause.

The Voice came next and capably rendered his song Let Us Rebuild but it was virtually unanimous on social media that Kenzie had won the first round. Whether coincidence or by design, the fact The Voice and Kenzie appeared back-to-back added spice to the competition.

In the second round Kenzie – perhaps sensing he was ahead on points and not wanting to commit any unforced errors – delivered a fairly straightforward rendition of Crazy World. Other than video clips, Kenzie did not utilize any props during his two performances. The Voice followed with his 2021 signature song Don’t Wake The Bear and reclaimed the advantage, adding an extra verse that whipped up the crowd. It surely benefited The Voice that he performed after Kenzie in the second round and got the final word in their back-and-forth stage banter.

By that time it was clear that the 12 other calypsonians would be battling for third place. There were some credible performances but some of the performers may have been burdened by the lofty standard established by the two front-runners.

*King Kenzie, a three-time Montserrat calypso monarch, returned with a bang but fell just short of his fourth title.*

REST OF THE TOP 5

3. Kimani “Proklaimer” Kirnon ($5,500): He easily won the Best Newcomer award. The son of former monarch King Andy performed with confidence and has a bright future.

4. Steve “Iceman” Weekes ($4,000): The two-time monarch is a terrific storyteller. For the third year in a row his topics were focused on his personal plight, particularly his well-penned Left For Dead. He could have perhaps mentioned others undergoing similar struggles in order to garner wider appeal.

5. Herman “Cupid” Francis ($3,000): The veteran utilized word play once again for his song Branding and earned Most Creative Song, an award he has dominated. His second song Mental Health featured an excellent presentation.

THE OTHERS (All received $2,000)

Maggie “Maggie D” Destouche: She has a wonderful voice and received two well-written songs from Everton “Reality” Weekes. But amid a competitive field she got lost in the shuffle.

Trevon “Trevvle” Pollard: The reigning Groovy Soca monarch is a good showman but like last year his songs featured mediocre lyrics propped up by flowery melodies. If he collaborates with a seasoned writer he could be a force.

Kenneth “Yogi Laser” Greenaway: He won Best Agricultural Song for Gimme Back Me Land but couldn’t duplicate last year’s Top 5 finish.

Kelvin “Tabu” Duberry: Tabu said in a recent interview that he cares more about getting his message out rather than winning the crown. He again addressed climate change, an important topic but one that has not resonated with the populace.

Silvina “Khandie” Malone: Her second song I Hate Cancer was a personal one and she seemed to get emotional and had a few mishaps. She won Best Environmental Song for Be Part of the Solution Not The Pollution.

Franklyn “Algie” Greaves: His rendition of Ruler I’m Sorry was excellent but he had a few stumbles with his second song Virtual Fete, which won Best Festive Song nonetheless.

Shane “Lord Caesar” Caesar: The Power Soca Monarch winner had a credible calypso Finals debut and has a decent voice. He seems to love the art form and yearns to go further.

Ozie “Ozie Blue” Carty: Ozie, who has a large following on social media, had a fair debut despite some hiccups. He should be commended for urging veteran calypsonians to return to the stage in order to raise the standard. It worked.

Joseph “Pops” Morris: The 2002 calypso monarch opened the batting but struggled to get off the mark.

ODDS AND ENDS

▪ Yes, the show was entertaining. But at a whopping seven hours it was way too long. Some measures could have been taken to condense the show such as curtailing the stage time for guest artists and placing a time limit in between performances.

▪ I don’t agree with the decision to award $2,000 to all calypsonians who finished from sixth to 14th place. In that group some were clearly much better than others.

▪ Leading up to the finals there was chatter about a boycott by some calypsonians who wanted the show to be held outdoors. But in the end money talks.

▪ Backup singing has been inconsistent over the years but Ronel White and Adena Johnson performed well, especially considering they had to learn 28 songs for the Finals.

▪ In closing, it is quite amazing – and refreshing – that The Voice (De Bear) and Kenzie are still at the top of their game almost 35 years after making their debuts in the competition.

MY AWARDS

Best performance (tie): “Don’t Wake The Bear” by The Voice and “Come Back and Sing” by Kenzie.

Best written song: “Left For Dead” by Iceman.

Best presentation: “Mental Health” by Cupid.

Favorite song of Carnival: “Come Back and Sing” by Kenzie.

OTHER AWARDS

Crowd Favorite: Come Back And Sing, Kenzie, $250

Creative Calypso: Branding, Cupid, $500

Most Improved: Sakawinki, What Should I Do, $500

Social Commentary: Left for Dead, Ice Man, $1,000

Festive Song: Virtual Fete, Algie, $500

Agriculture Song: Gimme Back Mi Land, Yogi Laser, $500

Environmental Song: Be Part of the Solution Not the Pollution, Khandie, $1000

Melodious Song: Come Back And Sing, Kenzie, $500

Newcomer: Proklaima, $250

Best Arranged Song: Left for Dead, Ice Man

Best Written Song: Don’t Wake De Bear, The Voice, $500

Best Health Song: Mental Health, Cupid, $500

Calypso crowns by De Bear (De Voice)

Year	Event	Songs
1985	Montserrat Jr. Calypso	Slavery (one song)
1992	Montserrat Festival	Back to Basics & Face The Truth
1993	Montserrat Pilgrimage	Come Home (one song)
1993	Montserrat Festival	The Time Has Come & Show Respect
2002	Antigua Independence	Man Is Dust & Help
2007	Antigua Carnival	I Say No & Support Party
2007	Leeward Islands Competition	I Say No & Man Is Dust
2010	Antigua Carnival	Leopard Come Home & Don't Sing Bout de Judgment
2011	Antigua Carnival	Melee For Sale & We Get The Change Ivena
2012	Antigua Carnival	Time To Take Our Place & Freedom for Mandela
2012	Leeward Islands Competition	Time To Take Our Place & Freedom for Mandela
2014	Montserrat Festival	Don't Forget Your Juliet & Got To Go
2015	Antigua Carnival	Can't Stop The Bear & Sing A Different Song
2015	Leeward Islands Competition	Can't Stop The Bear & Sing A Different Song
2019	Antigua Carnival	Let The Master Show You & On A Ray Of Hope
2020	Montserrat Carnival	By Faith & Call Daddy
2021	Montserrat Carnival	Let Us Rebuild & Don't Wake The Bear
2022	Montserrat Carnival	Hard Like A Diamond & Ah Shoulda
2023	Leeward Islands Competition	Hard Like A Diamond & Don't Wake The Bear
2025	Montserrat Carnival	Come Serve Your Country & Gi Dem Licks

Click here to see complete list of Montserrat Calypso Monarchs.

Montserrat legend David Edgecombe shared story of compassion just months before his passing

By

EDWIN L. MARTIN

-

December 1, 2021

1

Editor’s note: This past summer David Edgecombe traveled to a Wellness Center in Alabama to address his ongoing kidney issues. His trip was plagued by a myriad of setbacks but had a happy ending. He shared his story with Montserrat Spotlight editor Edwin L. Martin via text on June 7. Here it is:

My recent travel from St. Thomas to Alabama was some trip. When I made the booking the agent told me I didn’t need a negative COVID test to travel. But when I tried checking in for the flight the agent told me I did. She checked and double-checked and insisted I did. People in STT weren’t particularly helpful. Some said I needed the test, others said I didn’t. Out of an abundance of caution I decided to get one, but by now it’s Saturday afternoon and where am I going to get it?

I called every physician and nurse and lab technician I know. My flight leaves at 2 the next day, Sunday, and I needed proof of the test before that. The conclusive result was it couldn’t happen. The best that could be done was go to a lab Monday, get the results back Tuesday, and travel Wednesday. I already had my ticket and decided to try checking in for the flight online. Lo and behold, they issued me a boarding pass! I said, in for a penny, in for a pound, picked up my two carry-ons and turned up at the gates with my boarding pass. It was like j’ouvert morning the amount of people trying to get on a plane. I muddled through the long tedious lines, eventually getting before an agent who examined my pass, looked at my passport, asked me a few questions and wished me a pleasant flight.

We had to fly west to Dallas/Fort Worth to catch the flight to Huntsville, Ala., where I was to be met. I was due to spend time at INHOM Wellness Center and folks from the Center were picking me up. It seemed simple enough but turned out to be otherwise. The captain said floods were expected at DFW Airport so he had to make quick time and he did. He cut the 5-hour flight to 4 hours. But the rain was quick upon us and delayed our departure [to Alabama] by over an hour. That meant getting in after midnight rather than at 11, and still having to drive another hour and a half to get to the Center. I called and asked the Center to book me into the Four Points at Sheraton for the night and pick me up there the next day.

I literally walked off the plane into that hotel, it’s so close, only to be told they had no reservation for me. I said, how could that be? Please check again. They checked and said sorry, Sir, we don’t have a reservation for you. I said, then just book me a room for the night. They said they were booked solid and had no available rooms.

That’s when I saw the text from [the lady] who was supposed to pick me up. She said the hotel was charging for a late check-in and she was not about to pay that. So she booked me into the Holiday Inn that was just ten minutes away. What! At this point, of course, what’s a few bucks saved compared to the luxury of being able to toss my weary bones into a warm, cozy bed? I was furious! But there was no point to that, so I resolved to grab a taxi and end the night, only to soon learn there were no taxis, no Uber, no Lyft, and my phone was dying.

In the distance I spotted a man and woman talking at a National Car Rental booth. I explained to them my problems and they were sympathetic. The man started helping me but soon packed up and left. The woman took over, and what an angel she was. She put my phone to charge and used hers to call the Holiday Inn, who told her I had a reservation, yes, but their shuttle service stopped running hours ago. I started looking for the most comfortable make-shift bed I could find to bunk till morning. The woman, Yolanda, who never got tired or impatient, continued working the phone. In a little while she told me she had called her boss John, and he was coming to take me to the hotel! Can you believe it? I couldn’t. But come he did and took me to that nice, warm, cozy bed. This much I’m left assure of. Southern hospitality is alive and well. At least it is in Huntsville.

Click here to read David Edgecombe’s obituary in the Virgin Islands Daily News

David Edgecombe talks about his battle with kidney disease and his desire to visit Montserrat this past summer.

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