Written by Lorens Morris
When Italian super-centenarian, Emma Morano, died on April 15, 2017 she paved the way for Violet Moss (also spelled Mosse), also known as “Aunt V,” to enter the Guinness Book of World Records and the world oldest living person. Morano was also 117 when she died.
Moss’ son Barry Russell 85, said his mother didn’t look well on Saturday was taken to a doctor who said she was dehydrated and had an irregular heartbeat.
“Less than a week later, The Gleaner website reported, Violet Moss-Brown died on Friday September 15, 2017 at 2:30 p.m. at the Fairview Medical Centre in Montego Bay, St. James.
Moss-Brown, who was born on March 10, 1900. A native of Duanvale, Trelawny, Jamaica W.I. where she lived there all her life.
During her life “she owned her own business selling bread and was able to buy her home. Before that, she was a maid. A worker at a sugar plantation. Violet Moss Brown assisted her “church in the capacities of organist, choir mistress and secretary, for many years until her retirement.
According to the violetmossfoundation.org,” she owned her own property, cultivated her own sugarcane became an entrepreneur having the only bread depot in the district. She was a music teacher and seamstress for the community. A community worker all her life, she carried shingle on her head from the mountain and neighboring places to assist in the reroofing of The Methodist Church which housed her school with the aid of her classmates after it was damaged in an earthquake in 1939.”
During her 115th Birthday ceremony she was presented with a plaque by Mr. Robert Young, Senior Data Base Administrator and Director of the Super Centenarian Department of the World Genealogy Research Group. Mr Young had traveled from Atlanta, GA, USA to Jamaica to attend this special celebration.
Moss then received her award of recognition from the Guinness World Book of Records on Sunday, September 3, 2017.
A plaque of recognition for reaching this phenomenal milestone was sent to Moss-Brown from the Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth the 2nd.
She was “reportedly the last living person who was a subject of Queen Victoria when she ruled Great Britain.”
Moss, a super-centenarian (those who live over 110 years) outlived at least one of her children. She made history for being the oldest living person while her oldest living child, son Harold Fairweather, made his way into the the Guinness Book of World Records sharing a spot with his mother for being the world’s oldest person with a living parent. Harold Fairweather sadly passed away in April, 2017 at age 97.
When asked what’s the secret to longevity? Moss once said, “I eat everything except pork and chicken. And I don’t drink rum and them things.”
Moss also credits here longevity to, “My faith in serving God, and believing strongly in the teaching of the bible.”
She was “especially fond of the part of the scripture in the Bible that says honor your parents that your days on this earth may be long.”
During her life it is reported that Moss-Brown “remembers when cars, airplanes and electricity came to Jamaica.”
Brown’s Guinness World Book of Records achievement made her a local celebrity. She was visited by the Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, opposition leader Dr Peter Phillips, Dr. Devon Dick, president of Jamaica Baptist Union and Governor General Sir Patrick Allen.
Jamaican Prime minister Andrew Holness announced her death on Twitter
Our condolence goes out to her family and to the entire Island of Jamaica for their great loss.
Sources: Aol.com, Jamaica Gleaner, violetmossfoundation.org, Thegrapevine, NYDailyNews
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