I see that Margaret Winchell Pires has passed away. I did her bio up in 2011 for the Senior Citizen Awards Ceremony. They always recognise the people who are about to turn 100.
Here is the write-up I did for them:
MARGARET WINCHELL PIRES
Margaret Winchell Pires was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts on July 14, 1912. She celebrates her 100th birthday this year. Her father William Winchell worked in a button factory. Her mother Olive Enos Winchell, was from Fayal in the Azores and immigrated to the United States around 1910. She had three younger siblings, Manuel, Marie and Joseph. In 1927 her mother remarried to farmer Samuel DeSilva and they moved to Bermuda where he had family. Margaret was about 12-years- old and left behind a world with cars and jitter bug dances to an island where cars were banned, horse and carriages were the norm, and there were few dances for youngsters her age. She was terribly homesick.
The family lived near the lighthouse in Southampton. Margaret would often stand at the top of the hill and watch the ships come in from the United States and cry because she wished she was going home with them.
When she got older, she married Adeodato “Dot” DeCosta Pires on October 20, 1932 in the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Southampton. They had two children Nelrene Monaco and Stanley Pires. They lived on Rose Hill in Southampton, and Dot farmed with his brothers. Nelrene currently lives in Florida, and Stanley lives in New Jersey.
Mrs. Monaco said her mother was always a happy lady, and never had a long face. She loved to see family come over. She loved going for a ride around Bermuda, and her door was always open to visitors. Many times her family and friends would go home after a visit with nice vegetables from Mr. Pires’ garden. She went back to the United States several times, but she never returned to the place where she was born. She did visit New York, New Jersey and to Tennessee.
“Anything would please her,” her daughter said.
Being a happy person, Mrs. Pires used to sing a lot around the house. She was an excellent cook and made cakes and pies that her family happily devoured. Her interests were reading, knitting and cooking.
“We ate very well,” said her daughter.
The last place they lived was at Seymour Farms in Southampton. Mrs. Pires is currently living at Westmeath Rest Home.
She has four grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.
On Pigeon Berry Lane 