Finally, at 96, Samoondarie knows her birth date

Doon, of St Charles, Princes Town, arrived in this country from India on board the SS Mutlah. Her mother, Makhani, was pregnant when she embarked on the long trip and gave birth to Doon as the SS Mutlah crossed the Indian Ocean on its way to Trinidad and Tobago. When the boat docked at Port-of-Spain on October 14, 1912, Doon was already ten days old.

Her granddaughter Yolande Vincent, 49, said the family consulted genealogist Shamshu Deen to find out Doon’s exact birth date, which turned out to be October 4, 1912.

“He found out all about her past. Deen went into the archives and told us who Samoondarie’s mother was . . . we knew she was born in October, we just did not know when. Now we can rejoice with her before she passes on,” said Vincent.

Doon got a garland of flowers for her birthday and a cake. She also attended a worship service at the St Charles Church of God to express her love for Jesus Christ and give thanks for her long life.

“Samoondarie loves to dress and go to church, so we had a service for her there on Saturday,” said Vincent, who also told Newsday that Doon is the oldest surviving member of her community.

“People know Samoondarie for over 54 years as she worked in Ste Madeleine. Actually she met my grand-father Doon there. They had four children, but the middle two died just after birth,” said Vincent.

Doon’s two surviving children are Monica Joseph, 75, and Phillis Doon, 68. She also has ten grandchildren and 17 great-grand children.

Vincent said Doon also worked as a vendor selling chilibibi, sugar cake and amchar at the Jordan Hill Presbyterian School before she retired at 65. She is fondly called “Nanny” by everyone, but long ago Doon’s brother who is now deceased called her “Jahagin”.

Nowadays Doon has to use a walker to get around because she broke her hip after falling more than once.

“She used to walk from San Fernando to St Charles Village if there was no transport in her day,” said Vincent. In spite of this, Doon is a sharp-witted woman who loves a good drink of stout.

Although Doon is concerned that everyone is dying and leaving her, Vincent hopes her grandmother will be around to celebrate her 100th birthday in a few years time. Vincent also wants to know the whereabouts of the last four East Indian indentured labourers who came to Trinidad on the same boat as Doon.

“I want to celebrate all of them as a grand birthday. We need to honour all of them,” she said.