Lois Millicent Lambert, affectionately known as “Grand Ma,” marked her 103rd birthday on Wednesday, reflecting a life shaped by resilience, family and endurance.
Born on April 22, 1923, in Fyrish Village, Corentyne, Berbice, Lambert’s journey has spanned more than a century, from humble beginnings to raising a large, multigenerational family.
Now residing in Nurney Village, Corentyne, with her daughter, Linda Lambert, she has remained largely stable in health over the past year, though she now uses a walker and requires assistance with daily activities.
“This is my mom. From last year to now, nothing has changed. She still does the same thing that she did last year. Her gait is a little unsteady. She’s not as strong on her feet as she used to be, but when she needs help, we give her the help that she needs. She hasn’t had any real sickness,” Linda said.
Her daughter said Lambert is regularly monitored by an overseas-based doctor and continues to eat a soft, puréed diet, including favoured dishes such as corilla, okra, eggplant and jasmine rice, alongside soup.
“She eats better than she was doing the year before, but everything has to be puréed so she can digest. She likes corilla, she likes okra, eggplant… and jasmine rice, that’s the one she relishes. And she drinks her soup,” Linda told Ignite News.
Despite her age, Lambert maintains a strong routine. She continues to attend church when possible, enjoys dressing up and responds to music, her family said.
“She likes to dress, you see she’s all dressed up today. And she goes to church as usual. She has to go to church every Sunday as long as she can walk. She likes music, and as long as you play that music, she’s going to respond to it,” Linda said with a bright smile.
Lambert’s life has been defined by labour and sacrifice. She worked on a sugar estate as a weeder and later as a domestic worker, contributing to households across her community through cooking, washing and care work.
At 19, she married a tinsmith who travelled to her village after hearing about her.
“He heard about this young lady… and when he got there, he fell in love,” Linda recounted.
The marriage led her to Fyrish, where she spent most of her life and raised 12 children, nine of whom are still alive. Her descendants now span several generations.
She later migrated to the United States, spending more than 30 years abroad before returning to Guyana in 2021.
Her daughter described that return as deeply meaningful, particularly as she reached another milestone birthday.
“I’m happy that God spared her life to see another year. With all the little challenges that she has, we are still blessed. She’s my companion… I don’t know if she’s not here, how I would cope,” she said.
Looking back on her mother’s guidance, Linda recalled a lesson that has remained with her.
“Contentment, she said you must be content with what little you have. Life wasn’t easy for her, but whatever little she had, she made sure we were happy with it and content with it,” she said.
Now more than a century old, Lambert’s life continues to resonate through her family, not only for its longevity, but for the values of perseverance and gratitude she has passed on.
