Guyana loses two centenarians in a week

Guyana lost two of its most prized possessions during the past week, with the deaths of two centenarians.

Ghutri Kowsilla, called ‘Ma', passed away on Saturday at the Georgetown Public Hospital at the age of 104, following a brief illness, while Ethel Ann Fraser died on Monday, a few months after reaching the milestone of 100 years.

Tracing-chanderpauls-indian-roots  India's roots  Jaya Manikchand

The final chapter in the life of Kowsilla ended yesterday with her cremation at the Good Hope Cemetery . Fraser will be buried on a date to be announced later.

Kowsilla who was born on April 20, 1903, came to British Guiana from India at the age of seven with her parents who were indentured labourers, and spent most of her life on the East Coast of Demerara sugar plantations.

Her first stop was at Cove and John and went on to picking caterpillar worms from sugar cane.

She was married at the young age of 15 and moved to Quaker's Hall, Mahaica, where she brought forth eight children. She ended up with 52 grandchildren and 113 great grand children.

Her daughter, Leila Ramdass, with whom she spent her latter years, told this newspaper that she had left her mother home last Friday and upon her return her sister informed her that the centenarian was not feeling well.

“I watched her throughout the night and the following morning she was breathing differently,” Ramdass told this newspaper.

The woman, who was bedridden for several years before her death, was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital the following day.

“The doctor said that her time had reached and she died shortly after arriving at the hospital,” Ramdass explained.

Fraser, who reached the milestone in July, succumbed after a prolonged illness.

Even on her birthday, relatives had to prop her up in bed while friends and family members celebrated her birth anniversary. The mother of nine, five of whom are still alive, was born at Nabaclis, East Coast Demerara, as Ethel Ann Baird-Jopseh.

She worked as a domestic, doing odd jobs to add to her husband Milton Fraser's meagre wages to maintain her family.

Blind since 1989, Fraser's mind was still active up to the time of her death although sometimes she would appear to be withdrawn.

Mrs. Fraser might have been the only person in her family to enjoy such longevity since according to her daughter, there is no record of any other family member living that long.

Friday 09-07-2007