Matriarch Embarks On Year #103

Whistles, honks, and many ​“happy birthday!“s echoed on Orchard Street Saturday afternoon for Bessie Duncan, who will turn 102 years old on Tuesday.

Twenty of Duncan’s family members threw her the drive-by birthday parade.

A caravan of cars started at Bethel AME Church and proceeded to her house on Orchard next to the corner CVS.

Towanna and Jerrell Duncan, Bessie’s granddaughter and great grandson, decided to organize the party outside of the house since Bessie had been stuck in the house during the Covid-19 pandemic.

After the birthday parade made several rounds throughout the neighborhood, family members briefly stepped out of their cars and showered Bessie with balloons, cards, and strawberry jam and cream cake.

Towanna said that being able to celebrate a 102-year-old is a blessing. Jerell said it runs in the family.

“Bessie’s mother lived to 94 years old, and her grandmother was 101,” Jerell said.

“She’s very feisty for a 102 year-old,” Towanna said.

Duncan teased and joked with all her family members, telling them that she didn’t miss them that much since she had last seen them. Soon she told all of them how much more often she had wanted to hear from them.

Duncan was born and raised in Bronx, N.Y. Bessie worked as a psychiatric nurse, then moved to New Haven after she retired in 1987.

Her niece, Denese Bellinger, said that Duncan enjoys scratching off lotto tickets.

“Every day she plays $23 dollars worth of Lotto. She plays 13 numbers and eight scratch-offs,” Bellinger said. ​“She has to have it like that. Every day.”

Bellinger said that Duncan was extremely close with her other aunts. She said that everyone knows Duncan for being self-reliant.

“What I love about her is that she doesn’t want people to do things for her. She says please don’t take away my independence,” Bellinger said. ​“She’s a good person. She’s very driven. She’s always there to help people out. I know that she’s helped me many times.”

John Pullen gave his Great Aunt Bessie a kiss on the cheek, and she cheekily dodged it. John said that he felt guilty for missing her birthday party from a couple of years ago and wanted to make up for it. They took a moment together to jam out to the music.

“She’s just a great lady. I’ve known her for about 35 – 40 years now, and she’s the only one that never prejudged me,” John said. ​“Especially when I was younger. I’ve always gotten along with her really well.”

Duncan said that she isn’t exactly sure what the secret to a long life is.

“You told me that it was to work hard,” Towanna said.

“Listening to my parents. And doing what I had to do,” Duncan said. ​“I didn’t go out here and say, ​‘Bang, bang, bang!’”

Duncan said that her own personal life hack was remembering the mission and remaining focused.

“When I was working in New York in the hospital, we used to smoke our cigarettes and drink our whiskey, but we did our job. We didn’t go out there and mess in the streets like the people do nowadays,” she recalled. ​“They can come to your house, sit down, and play cards.”

Everyone continued to joke and visit with Duncan before heading out. They all consider Duncan the glue of their family.

For next year, Duncan said, she likes the idea of going to play the slots at Mohegan Sun.

“This time, you don’t wait until no birthday. Pick up the phone and call,” she informed departing well-wishers. ​“Just say, ​‘I was thinking of you.’”