100 years, 116 descendants

FIFTEEN children, 41 grandchildren, 55 great-grandchildren, and five great-great-grandchildren all owe their roots to one man — centenarian Luther Allen.

Born on July 24, 1926 in Reading, Lacovia, St Elizabeth, Luther is the eldest of three children for Melford Allen and Cathren Thompson. A farmer for most of his life, he moved to St Catherine in 1951, where he met his wife, Una Brown Allen, who is now deceased. Together, they had 15 children — eight girls and seven boys — all born between 1953 and 1977, and all of whom are still alive today.

Seated comfortably in his special chair at his home in Bushy Park, St Catherine, last Friday, the centenarian smiled quietly as some of his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and friends surrounded him, joyfully singing
Happy Birthday. At the centre of the celebration was a man whose century-long journey has been defined by faith, hard work, and an unwavering devotion to family.

Echoing small shouts of “hallelujah” as his family members praised him for his years of sacrifice and devotion, Luther credited God and his faith for his long life, sharing that it feels wonderful to live to see 100 years.

“The Lord has spared me from when I was a baby until now. He saved me, and he filled me up with his Spirit,” he told the Jamaica Observer, declaring that he is living only by grace and mercy.

Luther Allen (seated) receives a kiss from his eldest daughter, Mavis Allen Morrison. They are joined by (from left) his son Donald Allen and daughters Myrtle Allen Johnson, Dorrett Allen Jackson, and Jennifer Allen, who all visited to celebrate their father’s 100th birthday last Friday.

“I am glad for this wonderful day, the day of my birth,” he said, smiling.

Luther spoke proudly about his 100 years of life, sharing that he mainly farmed yam, cassava, peas, bananas, and raised animals to support his family. He said that farming was a skill he learnt from his father, with much of his childhood spent preparing the land and reaping its harvest.

Acknowledging that he has a big family, he joked that “the entire Jamaica is Allen” because his children are spread far and wide, some even living overseas.

His eldest daughter, Mavis Allen Morrison, boasted that her father is a family man and a prayer warrior who always looked out for others in the community.

“I remember growing up, when he had his dinner, it was seven of us in the house at the time, and if he had a finger of banana, he would cut that finger of banana or dumpling into seven pieces and because we knew that he was gonna do that, we were always looking forward to it,” she recalled, smiling as other family members lightly chuckled at the memory.

Myrtle Allen Johnson, the second eldest, recounted the long nights her father spent in his garden, sharing that farming was not just his source of income, it was his passion.

Centenarian Luther Allen (seated, centre) is surrounded by some of his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren at his home in Bushy Park, St Catherine, where they all gathered to celebrate his 100th birthday on Friday, July 24.Photos: Garfield Robinson

“He doesn’t leave his garden; morning, noon, and night, and sometimes six o’clock in the night, dusk, papa just coming in from the garden. Sometimes papa will down there, and when he come back up you hear him say, ‘I never know that the time was so late,’ ” she shared, prompting laughter that echoed off the walls of the living room.

She shared that even in his older years he continued to farm the land, but had to slow down earlier this year when he had a stroke. Myrtle said it was the first health scare her father had in his 100 years of life, boasting that every doctor check-up before revealed he was in good health.

The centenarian’s son, Donald, who is sixth in line, spoke of his father’s kind heart and giving nature. He shared that while the family did not have much and had plenty of mouths to feed, every harvest was shared with neighbours.

“If there’s a piece of pumpkin, he’ll cut it up and give it to his sister or neighbour. He always has a gift. Anything he gets, he always blesses it. If he’s going to plant something, he prays right before he plants. When he is finished, he prays; he reaps, he prays again and gives God thanks,” Donald told the Sunday Observer.

He said that although the family has grown considerably over the years, they remain close-knit — a bond their parents intentionally nurtured by instilling in them the importance of family, unity, and supporting one another.

Luther Allen (second left) blesses his birthday cake before blowing out his candles. Looking on are (from left) his son Donald Allen daughter Dorrett Allen Jackson, and granddaughter Karene Lawrence.

As each of his children spoke, everyone in the room nodded in agreement, expressing thanks that they were able to see Luther achieve such a huge milestone. With a strong breath, the centenarian blew out the birthday candles on his cake, later praying over a slice presented to him by his granddaughter Karene Lawrence before he took a bite — a habit he’d developed over the years.

A trained nurse practitioner, Lawrence said she became Luther’s primary caregiver last year, a role she considers both a privilege and a blessing. She said their days are often spent listening to him recount stories from the many chapters of his life, with the pair sharing plenty of laughter along the way. It is time together, she said, that she treasures deeply.

“Some of the things that he talks about, I don’t know, but I just listen. Sometimes when he talks, he will for a long time, and sometimes I drop asleep and he drops asleep too,” she said, laughing.

As he observed the interaction, Chris Allen said he is inspired by his grandfather’s 100-year legacy. ​

“It reminds you that you’re a part of something way bigger than you. It’s really very humbling, and it keeps you grounded to realise that you’re a part of a big legacy. Every time I visit him, he’s always praying for me. He would touch my forehead and pray, and it’s always inspiring. It gives me strength to just go on when I see somebody living that life and setting that example of greatness,” he said.