By Theresa Goodwin
The day before he celebrates his 100th birthday, OBSERVER media caught up with Charles Walter Stevens who was sitting on his gallery watching the busy traffic pass by in front of his Whenner Road home.
This is where Stevens, who marks the momentous occasion today, February 10th, spends most of his time after completing his morning devotions and daily Bible studies.
He is also the first to arrive at church on any given Saturday because according to him, “I do not like to be late and I am sad because some people do not understand punctuality.”
The Seventh-Day Adventist was bright and cheerful during a lengthy conversation with OBSERVER about his life on Sunday.
From his alertness and the way in which he interacts with people, one would find it hard to believe that Stevens is actually 100 years old.
“Be still and know that I am God” are the words the devoted Christian lives by as he noted: “I do not fool around friends. I don’t keep friends, the Bible says the heart of men is wicked.”
“Look at the story of Joseph and look at what his brothers did to him. But remember! Joseph became a very important man, the second most important man next to the Pharaoh. I love to read the Bible and because of that I love to tell plenty of Bible stories,” the alert centenarian said.
Stevens is originally from Old Road Village, and while he was an only child, he fathered 13 children and, to date, he boasts 32 grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren, and six great-great-grandchildren.
The widower, who lost his wife in 2016, is also regarded as a veteran fisherman man who was still making fish pots up until his 97th birthday. He describes himself as a “professional and the best fisherman in Antigua”, attributing his love for the craft to his love for Geography.
The centenarian also spoke about his preference for eating ground provision, singling out his favourites — sweet potato and cassava. He also enjoys a good meal of corned fish and dumplings.
Stevens will celebrate his milestone today in the presence of family members and well-wishers. Governor-General Sir Rodney Williams and members from the Community Development Division within the Ministry of Social Transformation are expected to be in attendance.
The celebrations started on Saturday when the congregation at the Tindall Seventh-Day Adventist Church took the time out to celebrate with their oldest member.