103-y-o Ivy Whyte: The little woman from Red Ground with a big heart

Her children recall her speaking about ‘1951 storm’— Hurricane Charlie — and how difficult it was caring for a new born during the terrifying winds and flooding, a moment that left a lasting impression on the family.

Today she still walks on her own, reads names on phone screens without glasses, and makes her children laugh with her sharp memory. When asked the secret to her long life, her family answers without hesitation: “a good heart”.

Ivy, born September 7, 1922, has lived all of her 103 years in Red Ground, northern Old Harbour, where she was raised. Except for a few brief travels, she never left her roots — and never needed to. The impact she’s had on her family and community stretches far beyond the borders of her rural hometown.

Raised as the seventh child among eleven siblings — two brothers and nine sisters — Miss Ivy grew up in a close-knit household where faith, family, and hard work were central values. These are the very values she went on to instill in her own children — 15 in total, 13 of whom she raised to adulthood, and nine of whom are still alive today.

Her daughter Yvonne White describes her as a “hardworking and gentle woman” who, despite the challenges of raising a large family with limited resources, never once raised her voice or showed signs of frustration. 

“Sometimes she didn’t have much to give us but she always found something, no matter how small it was,” Yvonne tells Old Harbour News, remembering her childhood. “Sometimes the only thing she had to drink was the pot water but she never complained.” 

Miss Ivy’s children attended the Good Hope Primary School nearby her house which allowed her to stay at home and hear when the school bell rang.

Yvonne added: “Every evening, the pot would go on the fire, and there were always other children around and everybody got something to eat. I used to see my mother without enough for herself after sharing with everybody. Even if you had already eaten and went back in, and she had a dumpling, she would cut it and give you a piece.”

Together with her husband, Miss Ivy made a living farming and producing bammy, which she sold at the Old Harbour market. “Once her goods were ready, she had to go to the market,” shared another daughter, Velma White. “She had to carry the load because no vehicle could go through Big Pond in Bannister when it was full. She would go through the bush with her load even if market bad and the load didn't sell. Sometimes she had to credit the bammies and just come back home.” 

The centenarian’s work ethic extended beyond her family and business. A lifelong member of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, located just next door to her home, she played a major role in her community’s spiritual life — visiting the elderly, offering communion, and raising her children in the church. Her Christian faith, her children say, is the cornerstone of her life.

Her eldest child, Dennis Henry, now 82, says it simply. “Her faith stands out the most to me. She is a really generous woman with everything,” he said. “I can't even explain how she really go through all the things that she had to go through raising all these children and still be really happy in that situation. I don't know how she do it, but she has done it.”

When asked what they’ve learned from their mother, her children are quick to answer: “fairness, honesty, humility, and kindness”. 

“She's a humble person, I mean she is not miserable. I've never heard her speak an indecent language. I never seen her smoke,” said Velma.

James White, her youngest child who is 59 years old, says: “The biggest lesson I’ve learned from her is to be honest and fair. And seeing her at 103? It reminds me that life doesn’t stop at 65. As long as there’s breath, there’s life.”

Though small in stature, five feet, two inches, Miss Ivy’s heart has always been larger than life. “She’s a little woman with a big heart,” says Yvonne. 

To this day, that spirit of generosity remains. Every year, her family celebrates her birthday with a party, gathering as many loved ones as possible to honour the woman who gave so much. They all try to make it their duty each year to savour another grand moment for the storied lives of the grand matriarch, as “We never know when it’ll be the last one”. 

At her 100th birthday, many family members flew in from abroad to mark the milestone. Though fewer could make it this year, the celebration continued, filled with stories of how Miss Ivy’s home was always a refuge and her table never empty.

At 103, Miss Ivy continues to defy expectations. “She would go to the doctor for regular checkup and we were told she is in very good health,” Velma revealed. “No wheelchair, no bedridden days. Just a little knee pain now and then.”

As for Ivy herself, she takes it all in stride. “Mi afi seh life alright,” she says with a warm chuckle as she attempts to read the phone number on the screen during the interview. Her words are few but they speak volumes — her sense of humor and humility still fully intact.

“As I look at life, I said, this must be the grace of God, because growing up, she worked very hard to take care of us, and as they say ‘hard work don't kill anybody’, I think it really builds people,” said Yvonne.

In a world that often moves too fast to pause for the quiet wisdom of those who came before, Ivy Evelyn Henry Whyte is a reminder that longevity is not just about time — it's about how we live. With strength, faith, and most of all, love for others.