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With a cup in her right hand and her arm raised, "Nadette" keeps time to the notes coming from the accordion playing next to her bed. The atmosphere is joyful and lighthearted in the small house in the Flamands neighborhood. On this Friday, March 20, surrounded by her family and loved ones, "Nadette" celebrates her 100th birthday. As she does every day, her niece Brigitte is there to take care of everything, assisted by her grandnieces Daphnée and Alexandra. The priest of the parish of Saint-Barthélemy also made the trip for the event. Gathered around Bernadette, Father Rulx-André Alcineus celebrates Mass, during which the guests receive communion, gathered around Bernadette. The room is too small to accommodate everyone, but this only adds to the warmth of the moment.
On Friday, February 20, in her home in Flamands, Bernadette Magras celebrated her 100th birthday by receiving communion with her family, loved ones, and Father Rulx-André Alcineus.
Bernadette Magras was born in Saint-Barthélemy on February 20, 1926, in the small house of fisherman Jean Joseph, known as "Yèyèfe" in the neighborhood. It was a bygone era when houses were built as simply as they were solidly, when the land and the sea shaped the days, and when the inhabitants lived to the rhythm of the sun. The second of five children (three girls and two boys), Bernadette did not have to wait long before life put her to the test. Her mother died when she was very young. As a member of a family of fishermen and farmers, the little girl she was then had to show maturity. At the age of seven, she helped with gardening, salting fish, and maintaining the fishermen's equipment... In a time marked by lean times, stormy days, and daily worries. It was a time of sailboats, turtle fishing far out at sea, and collecting eggs on the steep cliffs of the islets.
Her childhood was punctuated by work on the land and at sea. The family lived off what the island provided: mangoes, cinnamon apples, papayas, pineapples, soursops, star fruit, a few roots... A harsh life, but one of sharing and solidarity.
Bernadette Magras, elegant, long before becoming the centenarian of the Flamands neighborhood.
A century of dedication
"Nadette" Magras grew up on an island that was still isolated, with no hospital or even a doctor. The nuns played an important role there, providing care, supporting families, and teaching. At the Colombier chapel, but also at those in Gustavia and Lorient. Not to mention the Sainte-Marie school, which, in the same year as Bernadette, 2026, is celebrating its 100th anniversary.
Bernadette began working with the sisters in the 1940s, providing them with devoted and invaluable assistance. "Her fondest memories," she confided to Father Évariste, the former parish priest of Saint-Barth. She worked in the sisters' canteen in Colombier, then in the hospital, which at the time was more like a dispensary. Bernadette walked to work in all weathers. She did the laundry, cooked, and helped the sick. She always did so with patience and humility. And when she wasn't taking care of children, the sick, or her neighbors, she also helped out at the post office. "For an entire generation, she was a role model, a source of support, and a benevolent presence," recalls her family. Bernadette's life was guided by a simple principle: to be useful.
Bernadette Magras carries within her the history of Saint Barthélemy. Her family sums it up: "Through her, we see the Saint Barth of yesteryear. The dirt roads, the Colombier chapel, the construction of the church, the singing children, the exceptional smell of the shiny floorboards carefully cleaned with a chamois leather, sometimes smelling of oil, sometimes of the chapel... Only those who lived in the past will remember. The smell of ripe fruit, laughter in the canteen, footsteps on the way to the hospital in the early morning, sisters in white dresses, a hard but beautiful life."
"A familiar figure"
A former pupil of the Colombier school recounts: "For us, the older children at the school, our happiness was to see her involve us in her tasks. Pushing the arm of the small pump to collect a bucket of water, sweeping the chapel or scrubbing the brass candlesticks with ash and lemon. For many years, among the various outbuildings of the school, her silhouette had become so familiar to us that many of the former schoolchildren, now grandparents, still have a spark of affection in their eyes when they remember her and kindly ask after her."
When the Colombier community closed its doors, Bernadette Magras went to work at the Bruyn hospital. She also brought her dedication and experience to the service of the elderly at the Soleil hospital.
When she retired, "Nadette" continued to walk. She did try to learn to drive and even bought a car, but she preferred to part with it. As time passed, she gradually lost her sight. But not her memory, and certainly not her joie de vivre.
During the ceremony on Friday, February 20, in the courtyard of her home in Flamands, a guest asked, "Does she still dance?" A little less than before, no doubt. But when the notes of an accordion fill the air, even bedridden, Bernadette becomes "Nadette" again and follows the rhythm of the music! We must not forget that one of her greatest joys is singing hymns. Not to mention receiving the priest for communion at home. This was the gift reserved for her on her 100th birthday. Like being able to welcome people into her home, where she still lives thanks to the daily care provided by the staff at the Choisy clinic, doctors Noubou Lazare and Husson, and her physical therapist.
However, this gift does not equal the joy of being surrounded by her closest family, including her six-month-old great-grandniece, Ariana.
Searching for photographs for the 100th anniversary of Sainte-Marie School
In 2026, Sainte-Marie School in Colombier will celebrate its 100th anniversary. The school plans to mark the occasion by reviving its history, notably through the memories and archives of the island's inhabitants, former students, and their families. To this end, teacher Cécile Tessier has launched a search for old or recent photographs, digitized or not, that are of course related to the school. These may include photos of classes, school trips, events (festivals, fairs, etc.), pictures of teachers and students, buildings, or any other memorable moments.
If you have any photos and are willing to share them, you can email them (cec971@orange.fr) to Cécile Tessier. "Every photo, big or small, will help to keep the school's memory alive and celebrate this wonderful anniversary with all generations," says the teacher, who thanks everyone in advance for their contributions to the photo collection.
