Ruth Adelaide Lewis is celebrating 100^th birthday making her the newest member of the elite group of centenarians in Antigua and Barbuda.

Lewis was born to Antiguan parents on 28th October 1921 in Dominica.

According to reports from her family, Her deceased parents were Lilian Anthony Christopher and Joseph Christopher natives of Antigua from Old Road and Cedar Grove respectively.

“In 1928 at the age of 7 years old, her parents along with her 2 younger brothers Marcus and Ur!ah “Senna” Christopher returned to Antigua, and hereafter Mrs. Lewis remained and lived in Antigua for the past 93 years. On their arrival, instead of going to Cedar Grove where her dad originated, they stayed in St. John’s in the Point Villa Area where she attended the Point School and achieved her 7th Standard Certificate,” they wrote in a statement to the press on Thursday.

The family were staunched Methodist but Mrs. Lewis as a teenager was somehow attached to the Salvation Army meetings in the area and she subsequently gave her heart to the Lord and became a Salvationist.

At age 24 she traveled to the Salvation Army Training Garrison, in Jamaica. On completion, she was posted in Trinidad where she was in active service for some years before returning to Antigua. She continued being active in her Corps.

She later married Alfred Lewis who was then a government employee and later became the Bandmaster of the Salvation Army Band. Together they had 7 children.

They both dedicated their lives to God and service in the Army.

Ruth Lewis took on a cashier’s job at Mercer Ross Store but soon gave that up to assist her brother Marcus Christopher a buzzing entrepreneur in his business Christopher’s Trading Agency. She later worked as a cashier at John F. Shoul developed a lovely relationship and became well-loved and respected by this family.

Ruth Lewis was very active in the ministry of the church teaching Sunday School, visiting the sick and shut-in, and reaching out in every possible way to others.

She was a renowned and respected Girl Guide Leader of the Salvation Army Girl Guides Patrol for over 20 years. During her tenure, many of the Guides became members of the coveted Duke of Edinburgh Award Programme and became awardees.

Even with 7 children, Ms. Ruth Lewis opened her home to other children. The now Major Molvie James-Graham one of her girl guides became a member of her household. Mrs. Lewis groomed her for the Salvation Army Training College where she attended and retired after 44 years of active ministry.

Mrs. Lewis loved traveling and during her active years traveled to just about every Caribbean Island as well as London, USA, and Canada.