Edwin Rensford McDonald aka Uncle Ren celebrated his 100th birthday recently.
The father of 9 children, grandfather of 75, great-grandfather of 75, and great-great-grandfather of 10 was born on February 10, 1922, at Hopetown Village West Coast Berbice.
He attended the Hopetown Congregational Church and school. After school, he worked for a short period as a carpenter. Then he left for Kwakwani where he was employed at the Demerara Bauxite Company in the drilling section for a period. After, he worked in Linden in the Bauxite Industry for four years. He returned to Kwakwani where he worked for a few additional years seeking to find Bauxite.
He found love at Hopetown and married Hannah McDonald now deceased. He was the father of fifteen children but only nine survived.
He built his home in Number 22 Bel Air Hopetown Village and remained there where he worked on his farm planted rice, ground provisions and other vegetables, reared poultry, and cattle. He also worked at the Neighborhood Democratic Council from Number 30 Village to Fort Wellington, as the village ranger who ensured that there was proper drainage and irrigation and properly tended farms.
Uncle Ren is a jovial, loving man who can put a smile on your face with his friendly conversation and dance moves.
Officials from the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security visited Uncle Ren to celebrate and present him with a special hamper.
(Extracted from the MOHSSS)
