A century of grace: Beatrice “Cousin Vye” Johnson turns 100

There was no hesitation when Beatrice Elizabeth Burnette Johnson, affectionately known as “Cousin Vye,” was asked about her milestone on Monday.
“I have a birthday,” she said with a smile. “One hundred… I know it’s one hundred.”
On February 16, 1926, Cousin Vye was born in Lichfield Village, West Coast Berbice, the same community she still calls home today at Lot 20 Lichfield.
On Monday, surrounded by neighbours and well-wishers, the centenarian marked 100 years of life shaped by faith, work, migration, and an unbreakable bond with her village.
A devoted member of St Jude’s Anglican Church, Cousin Vye credits much of her joy to church life and community fellowship. Reflecting on her youthful days, she recalled simpler pleasures.

“Going to church…singing, laughing with your neighbour…there are so many little things… a lot, a lot of little things,” she said.
Growing up in Lichfield, she witnessed a dramatic transformation over the decades.
“Today it’s not the days like long ago…we have so many different things today.” Among the changes she highlighted were new schools, a developed church, and a playground, clear signs, she noted, of progress in the village she has seen evolve for a full century.
Though rooted in Lichfield, ‘Cousin Vye’s married and moved to Mackenzie in Linden, where she worked for several years before eventually returning home. She also spent time in the United States, working and building her life before resettling permanently in Guyana.
Before retirement, she worked for many years doing domestic work, while also building her own skills as a beautician and seamstress, trades that supported her family.

She spoke of labour work and domestic work, explaining that she worked for others while also maintaining her own household responsibilities.
“That’s what I used to do… You do your own work at home,” she said.
A mother of seven, three boys and four girls, ‘Cousin Vye’ today has two surviving children. Her family tree now extends to 18 grandchildren, 44 great-grandchildren, and 12 great-great-grandchildren. She has also endured the pain of loss, including the passing of children and a grandson in recent years.
When asked about her own parents, she recalled that her mother lived into her 90s, possibly 97, while her father died at around 67.
In lighter moments, ‘Cousin Vye’ shared her simple culinary preferences. “Rice,” she said when asked about her favourite food. “Rice and fish.” She laughed as she remembered that her grandfather had been a butcher, and so meat was once a staple in her younger days.
Through changing times, from colonial-era village life to modern Guyana, ‘Cousin Vye’ has remained grounded in faith, family, and community.
“One hundred,” she repeated proudly. “I know it’s one hundred.”