| Stella Welcome | |
 | |
| Birth: | 30 October 1915 East End, Cayman Islands |
| Death: | 8 January 2021 East End, Cayman Islands |
| Age: | 105 years, 70 days |
| Country: |  CAY
|
| Centenarian | |
Stella Welcome (née Wood; 30 October 1915 – 8 January 2021) was a Caymanian centenarian who was the oldest known living woman in the Cayman Islands, at the time of her death. She was also the second-oldest oldest known living person in the Cayman Islands (after Wellesley Howell), at the time of her death.
Biography
Stella Welcome was born in East End, Cayman Islands on 30 October 1915. She has longevity in her family; her mother Jannette Wood lived to be 103.
Her first paying job was caring for the blind mother of Olive Hinds, housekeeper at Lambert House, now known as the Grand Old House. In later years, she worked as a housekeeper for the Ryan family; for Bodden Town Primary School teacher Hillary Ebanks as a domestic helper at her home and at the school; and also at Bob Soto’s Cayman Dive Lodge.
She married Barrett Welcome in 1956. The couple had two daughters: Janet and Nadine. Barrett died in 1984.
A member of the Presbyterian United Church, she was a junior and senior president of Christian Endeavour, president of the Women’s Guild and an elder of the church. She also sang in the choir.
On her 100th birthday, the Acting Governor Franz Manderson, Premier Alden McLaughlin, Cabinet Minister Osbourne Bodden, East End MLA Arden McLean and more than 200 family members and friends joined in to mark the special occasion. At time, she had 11 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and 17 great-great-grandchildren.
She became the oldest known living woman in the Cayman Islands upon the death of 105-year-old Elizabeth Hurlston on 1 September 2019.
Stella Welcome died in East End, Cayman Islands on 8 January 2021 at the age of 105 years, 70 days. She was survived by her two daughters, 14 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and 23 great-great-grandchildren.
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References
- Seniors tell their stories Cayman Compass, 27 March 2011
- East End's oldest resident turns 100 Cayman Compass, 6 November 2015
- Lions volunteers lend a helping hand Cayman Compass, 11 February 2016
- Campers visit East End seniors Cayman Compass, 13 July 2017
- Celebrating Cayman’s centenarians Cayman Compass, 11 January 2018
- Governor makes splash in East End Cayman Compass, 15 April 2018
- Stella Welcome turns 104 Cayman Compass, 31 October 2019
- 105th birthday Cayman Marl Road (Facebook), 30 October 2020
- Cayman’s oldest woman dies at 105 Cayman Compass, 11 January 2021
