MARGARET Louisa Burrows has lived in three centuries with hardly a wrinkle to show for it.

"Oil of Olay," Mrs. Burrows answers when asked how she keeps such a youthful appearance. She was born in 1899 on Angle Street in Hamilton, one of 13 children. She grew up on Mount Hill in Pembroke.

Seniors such as Mrs. Burrows are an inspiration to the community simply for having survived. She's lived through two World Wars, killer flu epidemics, and childbirth eight times.

On February 2, Mrs. Burrows celebrated her 103rd birthday with her large extended family that includes three surviving children, 37 grandchildren, 59 great-grandchildren and 40 great-great-grandchildren.

"Her father, Theophilus Hart, drove a breadcart and was originally from St. Kitts," said Mrs. Burrows' daughter, Elizabeth Gomes. "She went to school on Parsons Road. Her teacher was a Mrs. Eve. She worked at Fernbank on Pitts Bay Road for 40 years for Gerald Harnett. She brought up his daughters Helene and Ann."

The Harnett sisters still keep in touch with Mrs. Burrows, sending her cards and telephoning her on her birthday.

"When I was little, we sisters and I would have to dress up and sit on the porch and wait for my father to come home," said Mrs. Burrows. "He liked to see his children nicely dressed."

Mrs. Gomes said her grandmother, Louisa Hart, was beautiful. "After her husband died at age 48, she had to bring up all those children by herself," said Mrs. Gomes. "My grandmother was a very sweet person."

Mrs. Burrows also worked for a former Chief Justice at Mizzentop in Warwick.

"He used to have a lot of parties," said Mrs. Gomes. "If she missed the last ferry she had to walk all the way from Warwick to Mount Hill in Pembroke. Back then the roads were very dark and wooded."When her children were young, Mrs. Burrows sewed all their clothes for them on a beaten-up sewing machine.

"She had an old machine but she would whip up some beautiful clothes for us," said Mrs. Gomes.

"She used to crochet, but she doesn't now because she forgets her stitches. She was the bread-winner. In the evenings we would iron and deliver clothes for people. She worked very hard in her life."

Her granddaughter, Johnette Smith, says Mrs. Burrows enjoys calypso music.

"At her 101st birthday she swayed to the music," said Ms Smith. "She attends St. James Church and enjoys singing and following the sermon. She has a very stern side also, her long-term memory is excellent and she can take you way back in history. If you don't remember something or say the story wrong she will let you know in a heartbeat."

Mrs. Burrows is the oldest member of the Young at Heart Club at St. James Church and she is also a member of the Shady Rest Club although she hasn't been able to attend meetings recently.

"They still consider her an honorary member," said Mrs. Gomes. "She has been a wonderful, wonderful mother. She is always thinking of others. There is nothing wrong with her mind. She has been living at the Extended Care Unit for two years."

Mrs. Gomes heaped praise on the heads of the staff at the Extended Care Unit. "They couldn't be any better," she said.

- JESSIE MONIZ