100 YEARS YOUNG - Centenarian Angeneta Hudson shares secret to long, happy life

Angeneta Hudson clocked a remarkable 100 years yesterday - an entire century steeped in memories, resilience, and wisdom, all wrapped up in time's ever-patient arms.

Nestled in the tranquil embrace of Yallahs, St Thomas, she isn't just a spectator of history; she's living proof that simplicity, love, and sheer grit are the real secrets to standing tall - both in spirit and, impressively, without a cane.

Born in Wilmington, a district located some six miles from Morant Bay in St Thomas, in an era untouched by modern conveniences, Hudson grew up where discipline and determination were the currencies of survival. Her father, Leopold Anderson, a district constable and cultivator, carved the foundation of her work ethic.

"My siblings and I walked three miles to school every day," she recalled a nostalgia-laced memory of her days at elementary school in Wilmington. "No running pipe water, just the cool, clear spring we relied on."

Her early years were shaped by both presence and absence. Her father left for Cuba when she was just a baby, a decision that set the course of her upbringing. Still, he remained committed to ensuring she had an education and a skill - dressmaking, the profession she mastered with finesse.

"My father left when I was just a baby, but he always made sure we had what we needed," she said. "He wanted me to have an education and a skill, and I'm grateful for that."

Hudson began sewing at 17 or 18, though she admitted, "I can't even remember how long I was sewing, but I know I made many dresses. That trade helped me raise my children."

She built a life with her husband, Kenneth Hudson, raising seven children. The '60s dealt a bitter blow when she lost him in England, but through the years, she carried on, watching her lineage grow to more than 32 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

"Losing Kenneth was hard," she admitted. "But I had to keep going for my children. Life doesn't stop, and neither did I."

At 100, Hudson remains a force of nature. "I don't bend," the centenarian shared, a phrase both figurative and literal, as she still walks upright -- no cane, no crutches, just sheer will. Apart from hypertension, which surfaced in 1973 after having her first daughter, she is untouched by common ailments -- no diabetes, no cholesterol troubles, no failing eyesight.

Her elixir of life? "Coconut water and coconut oil," she revealed. "I don't take tablets. Just my coconut water and bush tea. That's all I need."

Her granddaughter, Carla McFarlane, credits her grandmother's well-being to a life free from preservatives.

"She won't touch canned food - just natural ground provisions: pumpkin, carrots, green bananas, sweet potatoes," Carla shared.

Even at 99, she still commands her kitchen, preparing dishes like cabbage and salt fish or okra and salt fish, flavours of a life well-lived.

She has seen a world transform before her eyes - from a time when letters took days to reach their recipients to today's instant digital conversations.

"I had to write letters to send messages. Now there are phones everywhere, but I don't need any fancy ones - just one to make and receive calls," Hudson said.

While a caretaker, Nadine Hutchinson, assists her during the day, Hudson is fiercely independent.

"I can still do things for myself," she said.