The Dowdie News Gazette - Volume 4, Issue 2

The Dowdie News Gazette Volume 4, Issue 2 he year seems to be flying by already, but I honestly don’t mind. This was the longest winter that I can recall experiencing since I have lived in America. The first snow came in November (which is technically autumn) and the last in March. In January, while in Jamaica, I learned of the brisk weather the New York area was having and said a silent prayer of thanks, for the fact that I was missing the sub-zero temperatures. Ha! Little did I know that we were in for a long, cold, snowy, winter. In fact, even the winter lovers also had enough of the icebox that New York was transformed into and were ready to shed the layers. I am happy that brighter, warmer days are finally here!

T

April 2014

2014 Family (and Friends) Trip to Jamaica

I am getting excited at the thought of fun in the sun with family and friends, on the island that I love. In the previous issue, the travel dates mentioned were July 17th – July 26th. Please be aware that the group travel dates have been changed to July 19th to July 27th (feel free to go before or stay after). Our family reunion will take place on Sunday, July 20th in the district of Niagara, at the Primary School. For those who don’t know, Niagara is a small community that borders the parishes of St. James and St. Elizabeth. I have come across very few people familiar with Niagara and always have to explain that it is up in the hills past Mocho, right before you get to Elderslie. Niagara was my home before migrating to the U.S. and I enjoy my visits to the small community, whenever I am on the island and time allows.

Our homebase for the week will be at the IBEROSTAR Rose Hall Beach and room deposits have been made for those who expressed interest in staying with the group. The deposit of $100 per person secures the rooms and final payment is due 45-days before arrival.

If you are interested in securing a room, please let me know as soon as possible, or you may book on your own. This property offers 3 types of rooms: 330 double rooms, 32 junior suites and 4 presidential suites. All the rooms are fully-equipped with everything you will need during your stay. Please note that there is a reduced rate for children 12 and under with two paying adults.

IBEROSTAR Rose Hall Beach offers a great entertainment program for all guests, young and old. The children can enjoy themselves at Lucy Kid’s Club (ages 4-12) where there are lots of games, a small playground, and two shin-deep pools with animal-shaped floats.

As for the adults, they can partake in the hotel’s daily scheduled activities or of course, choose to make their own fun whether at the beach being a bum, or relaxing in or around the infinity-edge pool with ocean views and swimup bar. For the adventurous ones, enjoy water sports that are offered by the hotel. Those who want to maintain their beach bodies, there is a sports and fitness room that is furnished with treadmills, spinning bikes, free weights, and weight machines. The hotel’s entertainment team keep their guests entertained and amused with day and night live shows. With four restaurants and four bars, there is a wide-range of menu options to satisfy any palate. Lovers of food will really enjoy the hotel buffet and three-à la Carte restaurants: Japanese, Cajun and Steak House. For those who have late-night cravings, the hotel has food service 24 hours a day.

Our itinerary for the week will be similar to that of 2012, where we will kick off our week celebrating our Dowdie Family. The reunion will be a day filled with fun, games, love, fellowship and of course, food. At Niagara Primary School, we plan to have a Jamaican style fun day, with games to entertain the oldest to the youngest. Over the course of the week, our excursions will find us at various attractions on the island such as Bob Marley Museum (Nine Mile, St. Ann), Y.S. Falls (St. Elizabeth) and Dolphins Cove (St. Ann). On the off days, we will explore some of Montego Bay’s attractions lik e, Doctor’s Cave Beach and the famous Margaritaville on the Hip Strip.

If you have intentions of joining in the fun, be sure to confirm that your passports are valid and will not expire before we travel. Also, please let me know, so that I can include you in the headcount.

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A Song of Ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! - Psalm 133:1 ESV

Published: 04/17/14

The Dowdie News Gazette Volume 4, Issue 2

April 2014

Family Time in Jamaica - January 2014 My January trip to Jamaica proved to be a productive one as I was able to visit with some family members, over the course of the week. Thank God for my dependable driver (and brother-in-law), Junior (George Scott, Jr.), who is always ready for a Jamaican road trip. He seems to enjoy the excursions as much as I do and appreciates being included in my Dowdie Family journey.

The day after Daniel George Cooper’s funeral, we decided to rest and stay local. On Tuesday, I had to run an errand in May Pen, Clarendon, so I decided to make it a day trip and visit my uncle (Enoch Dowdie) and his family in Portmore, also. On our way to Clarendon, we (my mother, Andrew, Uncle Schofield and Junior) made a quick stop in Trelawny to meet Pauline (Dowdie) Greenwood, in Wire Fence District. Pauline is the daughter of the late Sylvester Isaiah Dowdie and granddaughter of Jeffrey Arthur Dowdie. I have had telephone conversations with Pauline in the past and was able to make plans to meet her during this visit.

Fortunately for me, I was able to meet her children, Brian, Garfield and Kenya-Kae who was a little under the weather. It was a quick visit, as we had quite a journey ahead of us, but we did our best to savor the brief time we were blessed with. Pauline took the time to flip through the many pages of the family tree that I normally travel with and marveled at the size of her extended family that she never knew existed. Pauline spoke of her father, a D&G truck driver who delivered drinks over the fourteen parishes. Sylvester died when Pauline was 14 and at the time she was not familiar with a lot of her Dowdie family. In a past telephone conversation, I recall Pauline sharing with me that she proudly took a copy of the newsletter to church to prove to some of the congregation that she has family (a large one at that) as they had previously inquired of whether or not she had any family.

Jamaica is truly a vision of beauty and no matter how many times I travel along the pothole filled, winding roads with precipices that sometimes makes my heart skip a beat and I am always amazed at the lush green vegetation we pass along the way. The view from Pauline’s backyard was no exception as I marveled at the amazing view, where we were able to see Montego Bay in the distance. She had a variety of fruit trees (June Plum, orange, avocado and pineapple). We sampled her oranges and began saying our long Dowdie goodbyes. When Pauline learned we were headed to Portmore, she suggested that we visited her brother, Tony (Anthony Dowdie), at his restaurant. I welcomed the idea because it had been a while since I saw my cousin, who I met about two years ago when his sister, Paulette Dowdie, traveled to New York to meet him for the first time. It was then that I learned Tony lived near me.

We arrived in Clarendon in the early afternoon and were on the road to Portmore when I realized I was not going to accomplish what I set out to.

We “walked with our bellies” and a delicious meal of curry chicken, fried fish, provisions, rice & peas and salad that my aunt, Andrea (Morris) graciously prepared, awaited us. Needless to say, our greetings were quite brief as we asked for the plates and silverware so that we could satisfy our hunger pangs. I wanted to go for a second helping (mi seh mi walk wid mi belly), but I refrained from stuffing myself with another full plate and took a few pieces of meat. It is quite easy to over eat in Jamaica as the food is fresh and without all the hormones and additives in food manufacturing, like here in the States. I enjoyed time with my cousin Tamika Dowdie and her adorable 2-year-old niece, Demorah Robinson, while the older folk “talk shop” on the verandah. Demorah sang the Jamaica National Anthem (both versus) and various other songs she knew. Carlton “Busha” Dowdie stopped by to join in the merriment with his aunt and uncles.

While the older folk got lost in conversation, I contemplated going to Port Henderson Road. I wanted my trusty driver to get some rest, before our long journey back to Montego Bay, but after a puss nap, he assured me he was good to go. I called Tony and he was glad to know we were in town and welcomed the visit so we (me, Andrew, Junior and Tamika) got on the road. We arrived at Jolly’s Restaurant & Lounge, an establishment located along the seashore, where you can choose to dine inside or out. While Andrew and Junior took a seat on the wall, Tamika and I went in search of Tony, who we found in the office doing paperwork. He came out to greet us and after he and Andrew got caught up, he invited us to dine with him and asked us to select our fish of choice from the big refrigerator. While we waited for our meal (don’t judge me and my belly ), we sat on the wall where Tamika and I watched the little birds (I think they are called Sand Pipers) and were intrigued at how quickly their tiny legs moved as they ran along the sand in search of food. As dusk approached, the staff turned up the volume on the music and prepared for their evening crowd. Our meals arrived and since about 2 hours had passed, I felt no guilt of enjoying yet another meal. The fish was prepared to our liking and was served with shredded cabbage salad, cucumber, tomato, a slice of orange, an order of festival and Jolly’s very own pickled pepper sauce. As a side note…be sure to buy a jar (or four) of the delicious pickled pepper sauce to take home. By the time we finished our meals, the sun had set and Tony’s evening crowd was arriving in groups. We spent a little more time with him, then decided to head back to Gregory Park, so that he could attend to his guests. Patiently waiting was Tamika’s older sister, Damiel Dowdie, who stopped by to pick up her daughter (Demorah) and was waiting for me to return. We said our long goodbyes and was on the road Montego Bay bound!

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A Song of Ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! - Psalm 133:1 ESV

Published: 04/17/14

The Dowdie News Gazette Volume 4, Issue 2

April 2014

Destination Mountainside, St. Elizabeth On our way to Mountainside, we made a quick stop in Niagara, first to see David “Bignal” Dowdie’s unmarked grave. I was able to find a company that makes plaques, so I had to measure for the size needed and also took stock of the minor adjustments that needs to be made on and around the grave.

Our next stop was at St. Philips Anglican Church to visit my grandparent’s grave. I always feel a sense of comfort when I visit their grave and this time was no different. Mom took note of the repairs that were necessary for the deteriorating grave, so that she could inform her siblings. We got ready to leave and as we stood over the grave, we looked across into the distance and took notice of the two houses on the hillside. The main focus was the tiny house, which for the first time on this day, I learned was the birthplace for my mother and some of my aunts and uncles, including Uncle Schofield, who revealed what I found to be a very interesting fact. The siblings (mom and uncle) shared some memories and we all laughed when they commented about how the tiny house on stilts withstood the many storms that blew through Niagara.

After Niagara, our next stop was in Elderslie to visit Sylvia (Dowdie) Watson. Sylvia is the daughter of Cyril Claudius Dowdie and great granddaughter of Peter Vecas Dowdie. Her home is off the road and up a hill that seemed shorter this time around. I first met this pleasant lady in 2010, at which time she had a sick foot, but was able to get around without assistance. After meeting Cousin Sylvia, I communicated with her daughter, Pansy Watson, who kept me informed of her mother’s health. I was sad when I learned that due to her diabetes, the foot worsened and it was necessary for the doctors to amputate. I am now seeing my cousin for the first time since her procedure and she was as pleasant as she was the first time I met her. Her husband, Rhylie, was losing his sight in 2010 and now was blind. We arrived to find Cousin Sylvia on the veranda and her Mr. Rhylie was inside. It was an unannounced visit, so we chatted a little with Cousin Sylvia and did an about face. On our way down the path, I wondered how the elderly couple is able to make it up and down the not so smooth and narrow path. I suppose after years of treading the hill she got accustomed to it, but with age and their disabilities, I’m sure it is a challenge.

We were Mountainside bound now and as we got close, it dawned on me that we would pass Melford “Mel” Legister’s home. I considered there was no way I could come this far, pass his house and not stop for a quick visit. After all, I knew word would get to him that we were in the area, so I phoned Cousin Mel and he was grateful for the call and welcomed the visit. During our short stay, cousin Mel treated us to refreshing freshly picked coconut jelly from his tree. I had a light breakfast and didn’t consider the long journey. Eventually, the peckish feeling I had in my tummy, along the journey, was now full on starvation. When I phoned Cousin Mel, I asked if there were any restaurants nearby (as if I were in NY) and he directed me to one that was along the way. We arrived at Cousin Mel’s address without finding the eatery, so when I saw Uncle Schofield enjoying a bowl gungo peas soup, I begged for one also. Our short but sweet visit came to an end and we were on our way to the residence of Ivy (Taylor) Gayle, with just one more stop to make.

We located the lane we drove down 3 1/2 years before to visit George Dowdie and his wife Georgiana “Miss Georgie”. Unlike my first visit, no one was on the veranda, so after making our presence known, Miss Georgie came out to greet us. She explained that Cousin George had taken ill earlier in the day and was now in bed with a fever. From my last visit, I remembered they had dogs but didn’t recall whether or not they were “attack dogs”. Mi and dog a nuh friend, so they are all attack dogs, as far as I am concerned. When we arrived this time, there was one dog in the front yard and we call out “HOLD DOG” and he immediately left and went to the backyard. Since the men wouldn’t walk ahead, I boldly took the long walk from the gate to their veranda, with my mother at my side.

While we were inside visiting with our elder cousin, we heard the ruckus of the men running. At that moment, I asked cousin George if the dogs bite and with a soft whisper (due to his trachea) and the wide-eyed Dowdie stare he exclaimed, “WHA!” We went to the veranda and found 3

a calm Uncle Schofield sitting in a chair and asked what the fuss was about. He calmly told us the dogs chased them as they attempted to make their way to the backyard, to see the farm animals. We all got a hearty laugh at the men’s expense. Miss Georgie kindly stood guard on the veranda, with a stick in hand to make sure the dogs did not give chase as we exited the property.

We finally arrived at Cousin Ivy’s home, shortly before sundown and were greeted by the always pleasant, Glanville “Kitts” (Gayle) Smalling. My hope was to spend a full day with my cousins, but with all the stops made along the way, had to settle for a couple of hours. Cousin Ivy and Kitts had prepared a meal of curried goat, stewed chicken, rice, provisions, veggies, and homemade wine. The meal was quite delicious and my tummy was satisfied for the day.

My last stop before leaving the island was at The Pelican Grill in Montego Bay, where Andrew, George and I met Charles Scarlett for breakfast. Charles is the son of Constance (Smith) Scarlett, grandson of Mildred “Minky” Dowdie and great grandson of David “Bignal” Dowdie.

Our conversation was focused on our extensive Dowdie family and Charles shared what info he knew about his family before learning about my project. Charles also spoke of his career in the Jamaica Constabulary Force and how it afforded him the opportunity to travel to various parts of Europe and the USA. As with all my family encounters, I wished I had more time but unfortunately, I had to head to Sangsters International to check in for my flight back to the freezer. We bid each other farewell, until July.

A Song of Ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! - Psalm 133:1 ESV

Published: 04/17/14

The Dowdie News Gazette Volume 4, Issue 2

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April 2014

A Song of Ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! - Psalm 133:1 ESV

Published: 04/17/14

The Dowdie News Gazette Volume 4, Issue 2

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April 2014

A Song of Ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! - Psalm 133:1 ESV

Published: 04/17/14

The Dowdie News Gazette Volume 4, Issue 2

April 2014

2014 Dowdie Family News and Updates Omar Taylor, An Extraordinary Artist Omar Taylor is a skilled Painter and Tattoo artist, who was born in St Elizabeth and moved to Waterford, Portmore, St Catherine at age two. He discovered that he had an artistic gift at age six. "I was in the second grade at Waterford Primary School, and my teacher at the time, Mrs Donaldson, asked the class to draw a coco plant, which I did, and to the teacher's surprise, it was too good to be true for a six-year-old to draw and (claimed that) it was printed."

The teacher, however, realised the drawing was bigger than what was in the book. "She said it was amazing and that I have a gift, and that's where it all began," Omar said.

Read more: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130901/arts/arts4.html AND http://www.caribbeanemagazine.com/2014/02/interview-withpainter-and-tattoo.html You may contact Omar either via phone or email: Phone: 876-854-5202; Email: portmoreink@gmail.com

Omar is the son of the late Horatio Taylor, grandson of Estelle (Dowdie) Taylor and great grandson of David “Bignal” Dowdie.

Shantal Dowdie and Baby Malique Her Royal Highness, the Countess of Wessex (left), interacts with an obviously delighted baby Malique, and his mother, Shantal Dowdie (right), during a tour of Ward 4, at the Bustamante Hospital for Children on March 3.

Shantal is the daughter of Carlton Dowdie, granddaughter of Adrian Dowdie and great-granddaughter of Stanley Dowdie.

For She's a Jolly good fellow!

Matilda Dowdie, affectionately known as Miss Jolly of the famous Port Henderson Road restaurant by that name, celebrates her 81st birthday with son, Tony Jolly (Anthony Dowdie) and many good friends (not shown) on Saturday night. Dowdie said she felt fortunate to have surpassed her three score years and ten (70) by 11 years. http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/For-she-s-a-Jolly-good-fellow_15991153 Anthony is the son of the late Sylvester Isaiah Dowdie, grandson of Jeffrey Arthur Dowdie and great grandson of William Arthur “Cameron” Dowdie.

Those Called Home Rosalee “Dorothy” (Watt) Membhard June 30, 1930 – February 25, 2014 Granddaughter of Maude Dowdie Great granddaughter of Peter Dowdie Rosalee was laid to rest on March 8, 2014 at the Oak Hill Cemetery, in Orlando, Florida.

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A Song of Ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! - Psalm 133:1 ESV

Published: 04/17/14

The Dowdie News Gazette Volume 4, Issue 2

April 2014

Mama used to say…

Sometimes out of the blue I hear terms that remind me of my childhood days and/or things my mother used to say, that I find myself repeating now.

I decided it would be fun to share them with you, as I am sure some might take you back and cause you to chuckle also. If you have any ‘remember whens’, please share them with me, so that I can share them with the family.

• Do you remember when your mother used to say, “yuh lie like donkey a gallop a street side?” I remember one day asking my mother what it meant and she in turn asked in a matter-of-fact tone, “yuh eva si donkey a gallop?” I had no response. Our parents had of a way of responding to our questions that made us feel foolish. In any case, very recently I recalled this conversation and decided to do some research. I found that it is not common and although none of the donkeys in Jamaica probably ever do, but YES! Donkeys do gallop. Following is a fact about the intelligence of donkeys that made me chuckle.

“The fact is, about the farthest from the truth as you can get. Donkeys are extremely intelligent. A horse will work until he drops, but a donkey or mule will stop before they are incapacitated. They can’t tell you about the danger ahead, but they can wait until you realize there is a problem. They will refuse to go on until they have rest, the pack that has slipped has been adjusted, or the path has been cleared. That’s where the stubborn myth evolved, but it’s just misunderstanding of the donkey’s ability to think for itself, not stubbornness.”

For more interesting facts about donkeys visit, http://www.lovelongears.com/about_longears.htm.

• Do you remember hearing the term, “from Whappie kill Phillup?” I knew this was expression that was used when someone tried to emphasize “a long time ago”. I was listening to a reggae song recently and heard the term and immediately took some time to research to see if there was a meaning behind the colloquialism. I found the interesting story behind this term.

“Every good Jamaican has heard, or used the phrase “from Whappie kill Phillup”, usually referring to something, which happened “from di devil was a bwoy”. But was there ever a Whappie or a Phillup, and did Whappie actually kill Phillup? Well there was a 42 year old man named Aston Jolly, whose nickname was ‘Whappie King. On the night of June 11, 1951, Mr. Aston ’Whappie King’ attacked and robbed two persons on the Palisadoes Road. One person was bludgeoned and stabbed to death while the other survived the attack. None of the victims was a ‘Phillip’, so how did we get it that Whappie killed Phillup? One of The Gleaner articles at the time said that the victim died from a ‘Whappie King Fillip’ (a ‘fillip’ being a flick or flip of the finger). Over the years, the permutations took hold and it moved from a Whappie King fillip, to Whappie kill Phillup. Whappie King was convicted on November 12, 1951 and hanged later the same year. So the original phrase referred to a 'how'. But over years of repetitive use and misuse, it has come to mean a 'when'.”

Click this link to read the full Aston “Whappie King” Jolly story in the August 1951 Daily Gleaner http://newspaperarchive.com/jm/kingston/kingston/kingston-­‐gleaner/1951/08-­‐23/page-­‐4

Dowdie Family Word Search

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A Song of Ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! - Psalm 133:1 ESV

Published: 04/17/14

The Dowdie News Gazette Volume 4, Issue 2

April 2014

Dowdie Birthdays April

May

June

Joy Watson 02 Devon Christie 03 Donnette Cooper 03 Starr Dowdie 03 Casharn Rowe 04 Toni-­‐Kae Watson-­‐Grant 08 Janina Francis 10 Jacory Collins 13 Kayla Watson-­‐Grant 13 Youri Marcia Scarlett 17 Collin Roache 18 Jaida Williams 18 Rodari Lyn, Jr. 18 Courtney Dowdie (UK) 19 Deidre Charles 19 Michelle Legister 22 Rhianna Brown 23 Owen Dowdie 24 Simon Mitchell 25 Kingston Irie Roache 26 Zyiann Viera Roache 26 Johann Chambers 27 Gayon Chambers 28 Kemar Fearon, Jr. 28 Ras-­‐Nyah Grant 28 Bilal Mubarak 29 Janice Williams-­‐Silvera 29 Patricia Sawyers 29 Natasha Robinson 30 Sheea Scarlett 29

Keisha Napier Williams 01 Keron Dowdie 01 Ayshian Black 05 Adrianna Brown 05 Kelsey Bailey 07 Davia Dowdie 08 Rohan Roache 08 Sherlian Dowdie 08 Alleena Porter 10 Angel Black 10 Armani Dowdie 11 Nickeisha Mason 12 Sadie Chambers 13

Nathaniel Sawyers 03 Ephraim Dowdie 03 Shaun Legister 05 Dale Dowdie 07 Kerri-­‐Ann McKenzie 07 Jerry Brooks 07 Rita Dowdie 08 Delano Dowdie, Sr. 12 Tajae Dowdie 12 Zaria Gayle 14 Hope Scarlett 15 Adore Black 16 Stuart McKenzie 17 Raphael Dowdie 17 Donovan Dyer 18 Adele Dowdie 19 Andre Malcolm 20 Nala Roache 20 Robert Dowdie 21 Owen Donaldson 22 Chloe Sawyers 22 Deon Sawyers 22 Keyone Dowdie 23 Janet Roache 26 Cordehlia Williams 26 Tony Sawyers 28

Winsome Dowdie-­‐Patrice 17

Bradley Shepherd 18 Deborah Dowdie 18 Neil Beswick 19 Leopold Sawyers 21 Mathew Smith 22 Chris Dowdie 24 Jervelle Fearon 24 Crystal Williams 24 Tevin Nebar 25 Maria Rock 29 Destiny Williams 29 Natasha Gravesande 29 Enoch Dowdie 29

D owdie W edding Anniversaries April Sean & Edwina Dowdie – April 1, 2005 Orgille Delroy & Paulette - April 11, 1981

May Robert & Racent Dowdie – May 28, 2000 Collin & Stacey Roache - May 9, 2009

June Hans & Deirdre Charles – June 1, 2002 Desmond & Christine Dowdie - June 22, 2005 John & Louise Dowdie – June 25, 1968 Homer & Leonarda McKenzie – June 29, 1975

Please let me know the date of your birthday or any missing family member’s and I will add it to the list.

I hope you enjoyed reading this issue of The Dowdie News Gazette. I appreciate your continued feedback. I can only report what I am informed of and no one is ever intentionally ignored. My aim is to keep the entire family network connected, through the newsletters! Please continue to let me know your thoughts, suggestions or comments about the newsletters. Help me to help us stay connected, by updating me on your (and your family’s) achievements and also by sharing stories that you may have regarding your branch of the Dowdie Family. If you have any old photographs or newspaper clippings, please send them to dowdiefamilyreunion@gmail.com.

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A Song of Ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! - Psalm 133:1 ESV

Published: 04/17/14