By Joan Wilson

I’m sure most of you are grieving the loss of my dear friend OLIVE MILLER who passed away yesterday (19).

To write about all her achievements and deeds in her wonderful ninety-eight years of life would take up a whole issue of iNews. I will leave that to others.

Instead, I am going to share a poem I wrote for her on one of these many birthdays she was blessed with. It doesn’t do her justice but I wrote it with much love and she beamed a big smile after I read it to her and gave her a special copy of it.

‘OLIVE’

By Joan E. (Watler) Wilson

I remember the days when you were our teacher

In the days of George Hicks, Elmslie’s great preacher

To us your accent was as strange as could be

Coming from England it was sharp as strong tea.

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You fitted in well with all of us

Determined to teach and win our trust

And it didn’t take long before we knew

You were a dedicated teacher and we’d all learn to love you.

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You headed up the Girls Brigade and encouraged us to join

For us young girls in Cayman really needed to belong

To an organization which would give us further training

In Christian fellowship and keeping time when marching.

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For we didn’t have much of anything in those days

Most of our recreation was swimming in the bays

And believe you me there was nothing wrong with that

But, we needed more than sun and sea to keep our brains alert.

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You adopted Cayman as your home away from home

You married and settled down never more to roam

And I’m sure England’s loss was Cayman’s gain

And I know you’ll agree it wasn’t all in vain.

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For your hard work and dedication in running the NCVO

Gave hope to the less fortunate both young and old.

I could go on and on MS. Olive, but it would take all day and night

I’d rather wish you many happy returns on your birthday,

And hope your party will be just right.

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IT WAS!!!!