The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) has chosen Mrs. Lurlie Scott and Mr. Lindburg Eden as this October’s Older Persons Month ambassadors.

The seniors, who hail from Cayman Brac and Savannah respectively, were recently selected for the honour in recognition of their continuing contributions to local life.

As the faces of the annual observance, this year titled “Stepping Into

The Future: Contributions of Older Persons in our Society”, the pair is expected to attend several of the DCFS events celebrating the month.

The ambassadors were photographed last Friday for the forthcoming Older Persons Month calendar, which will publicise all the events senior citizens are being encouraged to take part in. The DCFS is organising transport to many of the 14 Older Persons Month activities, which include socials, a theatre trip, church services and island tours.

Mrs. Scott, better known as Ms Lurlie, lives in Spot Bay. She is the proud matriarch of 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, many of whom helped celebrate her 90^th birthday with family and friends recently. She is also the proud relative of a son-in-law, two step daughters and three step grandchildren.

The daughter of William and Victoria Scott, she is a well-known pillar of the community with an outgoing personality and can-do attitude when it comes to supporting special causes and the people she loves. An excellent cook, her rice and beans, baked beef and heavy cakes are much in demand for Brac socials.

Ms Lurlie married husband William in 1947. Together the couple raised five children (including two unofficially adopted). Having worked for the Kirkconnell family for many years, she now looks forward to seeing her youngest relatives start school and the older ones prosper in life. Widowed since 2004 and having lost her second son Charles in 1977, she finds solace in her unshakeable belief in God.

An enthusiastic member of Bethel Baptist Church for more than 64 years, she takes justifiable pride in being the church’s treasurer. Her devotion to church duties means she often helps with cleaning the interior and maintaining its yard.

A keen traveller, Ms Lurlie has already been on two overseas trips this year. Her holiday in Jamaica brought back many happy memories of time spent there with her husband as newlyweds. She also enjoyed her first-ever holiday in the Isle of Pines, Cuba. An inveterate people person, she was in her element meeting locals, scouring outdoor markets and strolling along the island’s black sand beaches.

When not at home gardening, baking and catching up on her favourite entertainment- and news shows, she likes attending senior citizens functions. It’s during such outings that she catches up with friends and can reminisce about yesteryear.

Ms Lurlie says she is looking forward to her ambassadorship in October. She thinks it will be a great opportunity to highlight the contributions of older people on all three islands.

Lifelong Savannah resident, Lindburg Eden is similarly honoured to be chosen as a 2017 Older Persons Month ambassador. He is especially looking forward to reconnecting with former acquaintances and participating in many of the planned activities.

The 90-year old bachelor is one of seven siblings born to the late Sarah Leonie and Alexander Selwyn Eden.

Although not as active as he once was, Mr. Eden remains a stalwart of his community having served as a vestryman from 1954 to 1959. Formal civic duties aside, he built Savannah post office and was one of the contractors who refurbished Pedro St. James Castle in the 1960s. A founding member of the Cayman Islands Agricultural Society, he was an early member of a Lions Club which raised funds to build the Lions Centre.

During his working life, Mr. Eden operated the Savannah Tall Tree General Store and is equally well known for having owned and operated the CleCoe bottling plant for 15 years with his brother Crosby. In former years, Mr. Eden was a skilled carpenter who could turn his hand to making many things. He was also a keen farmer who raised cattle and enjoyed growing pumpkins, potatoes, cassava and yams.

A self-professed “honest man who lives a Christian life”, Mr. Eden is a member of the local Savannah United Church.

Looking back, he has fond memories of being one of the Cayman Islands’ first local golfers. When not busy with daily matters, he and his friends liked nothing better than playing on courses in Costa Rica, Jamaica and Miami, before one was built behind the old Hyatt Hotel on Seven Mile Beach.

Nowadays, Mr. Eden spends his days, “puttering around” his yard, keeping up with local news on the radio and watching international news on television.

He thanks God for allowing him to reach his tenth decade and is grateful for every morning he is able to wake up and put his feet on the ground.

Both of this year’s ambassadors embody the purposeful lives still led by many Caymanian elders, who continue making useful contributions to society, regardless of age, gender or creed.