Jamaican Irlene Jones-Brathwaite Saturday, Dec. 2 evening celebrated her 60th birthday with a gala bash within the Fellowship Corridor at Fenimore Road United Methodist Church (FSUMC) in Brooklyn, describing the attainment of the numerous milestone as “a blessing.”
“Sixty years is a blessing,” Jones-Brathwaite, a Brooklyn resident and FSUMC member, advised Caribbean Life a day after household and church members, and buddies and supporters celebrated and paid tribute to her on the gala celebration.
“Thank God, I would not have any main diseases,” she mentioned. “Sure, I get some aches generally. I’m feeling 20 years in a 60-year-old physique.”
Of their tributes, patrons described Jones-Brathwaite – a member of FSUMC’s United Voices of Reward (UVOP), Gospel Refrain, Mixed Choir, and Reward and Worship Crew – as a music fowl, God-fearing, loving, form, candy, lovely, trustworthy, good-natured and really sturdy, amongst different superlatives.
“God is nice! She’s 60, however she appears like 16,” mentioned the DJ earlier than dropping “She’s Royal,” as patrons serenaded Jones-Brathwaite.
“You’re my sweetest niece,” Yvonne Crosby, Jones-Brathwaite’s aunt, who trekked from the Bronx, advised her. “We’ve been collectively for 60 years. I want you all the most effective.”
Joylyn Walker, who lived throughout the road from Jones-Brathwaite in St. Andrew, Jamaica, mentioned Jones-Brathwaite was all the time prepared to share meals, amongst different issues.
“She all the time had meals over there,” she mentioned, referring to again house. “I like you. Proceed your Christian work.”
Then, she advised patrons that Jones-Brathwaite “grew her youngsters with love.”
One other patron and pal, whose title was given solely as Yvonne, described Jones-Brathwaite as “a stupendous music fowl.”
“I want you like for 60 years,” she mentioned. “God bless you. Stand up and dance.”
Annette “Nettie” McEwen, a pal, who’s identified Jones-Brathwaite for a while, mentioned she was “wanting good,” wishing her “all the most effective.”
Dianne Brown, the Jamaican-born chair of the Greater Training Scholarship Fund Committee at FSUMC, mentioned Jones-Brathwaite was “pretty, dependable and ‘firey’”.
“She’s a extremely good pal,” she mentioned. “Coronary heart-to-heart, I like her.
“She loves her singing; she loves her church,” Brown added. “You may have my assist in every little thing you do.”
Jones-Brathwaite’s cousin, Mark Little, who served as Grasp of Ceremonies, mentioned Jones-Brathwaite was “so trustworthy.”
“She’s such individual, such coronary heart,” mentioned Little, additionally a local of St. Andrew, Jamaica, who at the moment resides in East Hartford, Conn.
Min. Bernice Walker, a local of St. Kitts, the bigger of the twin-island federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, mentioned she and Jones-Brathwaite’s birthdays was really final Wednesday.
“She is aware of me, and she or he is aware of my methods,” mentioned Walker, a lay speaker at FSUMC. “I’m grateful for Irlene. I like her.
“God bless her and her youngsters,” she added. “You may have mom (turning to Jones-Brathwaite’s two sons)”.
Belizean-born Barbara Moody, chair of FSUMC’s Worship Committee and director of FSUMC’s Chancel Choir, mentioned she and Jones-Brathwaite linked from “the get-go.”
“You simply see that individual that’s drawn to you, and also you’re drawn to them,” she mentioned. “We simply have relationship.
“I simply want you a contented birthday,” she added. “Your boys are simply near you.”
After wishing Jones-Brathwaite “a really blissful birthday,” Min. Cynthia Grant – who was born in Aruba to Vincentian dad and mom, chairs FSUMC’s Pastor-Parish Relations Committee and is a member of the Chancel Choir – mentioned, in jest: “Once you attain 60, and your subsequent birthday comes, you age down.”
Milton Walker, who was Jones-Brathwaite’s neighbor in Jamaica, advised Jones-Braithwaite: “You’re clear proof that age is a quantity. I want you content birthday and plenty of extra to come back.”
Jones-Brathwaite’s elder son, Tariq, 27, mentioned “60 years is a very long time.”
“All the things you educate me is smart,” he mentioned, turning to his mom. “It doesn’t matter what, she’s one name away.
“All people in right here, we share a particular second,” he added. “We now have a reminiscence we will recall. I admire you guys for maintaining me level-headed.
“I like you,” Tariq advised his mom.”
Youthful son, Donté, 20, mentioned he has “nothing however respect for my mom.”
Neev Shah, 3, who Jones-Brathwaite baby-sits, advised Jones-Brathwaite, to loud applause: “I like you.”
Jones-Brathwaite, who was born in St. Andrew, Jamaica, mentioned she is the one youngster of Calvin and Joan Jones.
In Jamaica, she mentioned she attended Mission Home primary faculty, Windfall Main and Dunrobin Excessive Faculty.
After graduating from highschool, Jones-Brathwaite mentioned she explored photolithography, or printing, fell “in love with it”, however went on, after 5 years, to work on the Nationwide Industrial Financial institution in St. Andrew, Jamaica, for 9 years.
Throughout that point, Jones-Brathwaite mentioned her first son was born in 1996.
In 2003, two years after migrating to New York, Jones-Brathwaite mentioned she gave delivery to her second son.
“Shortly thereafter, I grew to become a single mom, elevating my two boys,” Jones-Brathwaite advised Caribbean Life. “Dwelling within the USA has introduced a greater high quality of life – extra alternatives for my sons and myself.
“My boys are all grown up,” she added. “I like to sing praises unto God. It’s due to His grace and mercy why I’m right here at the moment.”
