Miss Mel celebrates 100 years
Published:Thursday | April 9, 2015 | 12:00 AM
CHARLES TOWN, St Ann:
DOZENS OF relatives from Jamaica and overseas gathered in Charles Town, St Ann's Bay on April 2 to join Melvina Fraser, known affectionately as Miss Mel, in celebrating her 100th birthday.
It was an occasion that the ruling People's National Party (PNP) also recognised. A letter signed by the party's general secretary thanked Miss Mel for her support of the party over the years.
Avis Walker, one of Miss Mel's four children, describes her mother as a kind woman and attributes her long life to blessing.
"She is kind and she teach us to love one another, to be loving and kind to each other, and she just loves to share," Walker stated.
With a combined total of more than 50 grand, great-grand and great-great-grand children, Miss Mel has lived a long and fruitful life so far and based on her good health, she is expected to celebrate many more birthdays.
pnp family
Meanwhile, Michael Ennis, committee vice-chairman for PNP North East St Ann, in presenting the letter from the party, said Miss Mel is primarily responsible for the strength of the PNP in the community.
"As the story goes, when Miss Mel was growing up, her family wasn't really a supporter of the PNP; they chose to become a supporter of the PNP after the victory of Hazel Hamilton, Vivian Blake and Wills Isaacs, because of the policies of the PNP," Ennis said.
Ennis said since then, Miss Mel has contributed significantly towards the community supporting the PNP.
"So on this day of her hundredth birthday, the PNP wishes to wish her a happy birthday and express our gratitude by presenting her with a letter of appreciation for all the effort over the years."
The framed letter reads, in part:
"Miss Mel, you have indeed been a true PNP stalwart, party worker and matriarch behind the strength of the PNP in Charles Town.
On this your 100th birthday, the party wishes to congratulate you on reaching this milestone and convey our gratitude and thanks for the years of work and support of the People's National Party.
The party would have it no other way, but to recognise this milestone and your achievements at a function at your home on Thursday."
The occasion was a festive one with Miss Mel showing appreciation of the attention, the beautifully decorated cake, the food and mostly the host of relatives and friends who turned out for the occasion.