Who this nonagenarian is?
Written by Jill Cotter
PUNTA GORDA TOWN, Toledo District, Mon. Dec. 16, 2024
Herman Alvarez was born in Barranco 95 years ago. Since fishing was the only way of surviving in the village, 18-year-old Herman left Barranco to work in the Corozal Sugar Factory in Libertad. For 25 years, he worked as the powerhouse operator, controlling and maintaining machinery to generate electricity. He was paid $200.00 a week. “That was good enough since things cost less then,” Herman mused.
From then on, Herman worked “catch and kill”. Voted in as the chairman of Libertad, he worked on installing a water system. Along the way, he returned to Barranco to marry his sweetheart and had five children over the years in Libertad. When she passed, he needed to find another wife, and at the age of 45, he married an 18-year-old, adding another four children to his belt.
“I sent her to the States to make a living while I minded the children,” Herman explained. “Eventually, she sent for the children, but not for me. I felt it. Life is like that. You take what you get,” he laughed good-naturedly.
Ten years ago, Herman landed up in the hospital, and one of his daughters from Punta Gorda picked him up and brought him down to live with her. Living on Cayetano Street, Herman spends his days growing and caring for tomatoes and sweet pepper plants. “Sometimes they grow, and sometimes they don’t,” he said. This accepting attitude sums up Herman’s philosophy. “I try not to do harm to anybody. I like everybody,” he chuckled.
While being interviewed at the HelpAge Christmas party, when asked if he was ready to eat, Herman joked, “I’m ready like Freddie.”
In response to the question, “How have you been able to live so long?”, Herman answered contentedly, “It’s God’s work. He’ll know when to take me.”