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NO REGRETS!

Lucille Mathon - Leighton Williams Photo

CENTENARIAN LUCILLE Mathon has never been married and conceived no children. But, the centenarian has no regrets about taking a path where only a few have dared to tread.

Mathon is a resident of the Ebenezer Nursing Home where she has lived for the past two years. She gives her date of birth as June 15, 1904, and said she was born on the Sherwood Forest coffee plantation in St. Thomas. She said her father was an overseer and her mother was a post-mistress. She was the eighth of nine children and moved to Mount Charles in Mavis Bank, St. Andrew, during her childhood after the coffee plantation changed hands.

No interest

But, despite looking after many children, Miss Mathon said she was never interested in having any of her own. "I was never interested in having children of my own, neither was I ever interested in getting married, or in men. I like being on my own and that's why I nor got married or had any children of my own," she said. "I have no regrets about not having any because I was never interested. I was more interested in travelling and taking the children of my nieces and nephews to their parents in England, the United States, and Canada."

The centenarian said transporting children to and from Jamaica to be with their parents was a job she did in addition to her dressmaking. She said she frequented previously mentioned countries on a regular basis and once visited Spain.

However, despite talking about her travels, she could not remember much detail from those travels.

She did adopt a child and has several grand nieces and nephews. Despite living this long, Miss Mathon is looking forward to death, although that her age is the envy of other members of the home.

"All my relatives are now dead. I don't know how comes I've lived this long. As far as I know I thought I would have passed away a long time ago," she said.

But as she waits for death to come, the nurses and patients at the Ebenezer Nursing Home have grown fond of Miss Mathon. They told THE WEEKEND STAR that she was a solitary person, who only left her room during meals as well as on her birthday or during Christmas treats.

"She's very jovial and is always promising us a 'man lick'," said nurse Joy Benson. "She doesn't like leaving her room though, but she likes to tell you about her life story and she gets on well with everybody."

Still, the centenarian blames this personality trait on the month in which she was born. For her, being alone provides comfort which she hopes to continue having until the day she dies.