In the brilliance of the late morning sunshine of Thursday, July 28, 1921, Judith Ida Indiana completed the quiver of James and Rebecca Chambers. Although being added to eight brothers and two sisters, she spent most of her childhood as a single child. Her paternal aunt, Barbara, had persuaded her parents to allow her, with her husband, to raise their eleventh child for she was unhappy that her brother had eleven children and she had no one to call her mother.
Aunt Barbara, being very meticulous, raised Judith to be extremely principled, dainty and educationally oriented.
From Montego Bay to Ginger Hill, from Maroon Town to Cambridge and beyond Judith moved with the family. Everywhere they went, education was at the top of the agenda. Next was learning to be useful in the family business. She was extremely brilliant so, at the age of twelve years, she passed Science and Mathematics with distinction in the First Jamaica Local examination and was successful in the Second Jamaica Local examination at fourteen. She practised as a pupil-teacher but her ambition was to be a registered nurse.
In her 17th year, after a bout of illness, she was reunited with her parents, siblings, nieces and nephews at Chambers Yard, Jericho. Very quickly, she adapted to the culture of the new setting – attending to the needs of family members, river washing, being a nurse to children and adults and perfecting her sewing skills. Here, like two of her elder brothers, she was converted to the Seventh Day Adventist faith. Little did she know that most of what she had been practising would become lifetime activities.
It was while worshipping at the Seventh Day Adventist church in Jericho that she became acquainted with Alphaeus Hall. The acquaintance developed to love and then to marriage in October 1944.She patterned her Aunt Judith, after whom she was named, by marrying a Hall, therefore becoming the second Judith Chambers-Hall in the family.
So she left Chambers Yard, Jericho, to reside with her husband in Claremont where she spent the remaining 77 years of her life. From the marriage, there are seven children.
All the attributes and skills learnt from Aunt Barbara and at Chambers Yard prepared her for that part of her life as she demonstrated the qualities of being a devoted wife, a successful mother, an ardent worshipper, a committed care-giver, seamstress, business woman, teacher and nurturer.
As a wife and mother the welfare of her family was her delight. She showed unmatched devotion to their care and happiness. The family was nourished with great care and was made ready for any occasion. We could not come short of any good thing. She made sure that that was a reality.
The worshipper: Nothing could take the place of her worship – praying, singing, studying, attending and participating in church services were a special part of her life. She invested funds in the purchase of religious material and spent quality time using them. When her eyes were becoming dim, her magnifying glass was turned in every direction to capture every word on the page. Her cliché, which became her last audible words, was “Oh Lord.”
The Seamstress: She sewed her first piece of garment while a child at her Aunt Barbara. She continued to develop this skill at Chambers Yard and sewed until she could sew no more. Together with her husband, they made an efficient team at the machine sewing anything that could be sewn.
Business Woman: Her knowledge of business made a big difference in the operations of the family business. Her expertise, labour and advice assisted in its operations.
Teacher: She always had a lesson to teach whether by proverbs, a stern look, a book, a scold, the strap, the Holy scriptures, her experiences in life or by example. Being in her presence was being in a school. For years, many Sabbath School classes benefited from her teaching. The church at large learnt from her readings and from her comments in discussions.
Care-giver and Nurturer: They came to her at all ages and stages, in sickness or in health, when deprived of a parent or of attention, or when in need of consolation or a listening ear. The off springs of her siblings and of the siblings of her husband came. Other relatives came. Most of all, her parents, Aunt Barbara and two of her brothers came when aged. They all testified of tender loving care and treasured lasting experiences.
When she started producing her own children, it was in reality the second generation that she was rearing but there was enough energy for us to have our fair share of love, care, attention and affection.
They share their memories of Mama:
Donovan: “Van, Yu not giving your heart back to God?”
Oran: Edmund (Pete), my parents’ first-born, died in infancy. Then I came – a “delicate” child, for I didn’t seem to know how to keep well. It had its upside, though, for Mama found time to cook me special meals and give me special care. When I was at basic school, I sustained severe damage to one of my eyes and had to have major surgery months after I started university, forcing me to take a leave of absence. Our father left us about three weeks after I resumed, and I started the endless, lonely journey from Mona to Claremont that Sabbath morning. I was so broken, but as I reached the top of Rock Pleasant, on the final stretch home, I saw Mama – a widow of less than two days – with my siblings in tow heading back to church in the afternoon. When she saw me, she gave me the most beautiful smile I have ever seen – one I can’t forget and which keeps me in my darkest moments.
Osmond: Mama and I had a good relationship. We got on well.
Frauline: “Lur, all the things you are giving me to build my body you must take them too for I have you to take care of me but you will have no one so take care of you.”
Eldith: Once when one of my siblings and I had a dispute, Mama told me to stop. I asked her why she always told me to stop first even when she knew that I was not at fault. She answered, “Because I know you will hear.” And when I was leaving home for Kingston, she said, “I know I can depend on you to be the peacemaker.” I have always remembered these words.
Harnel: Mama had a way of knowing what we were thinking even without us saying a word. When I was having internal struggles with how to move on with my life, she said to me, “What doeth thou here Elijah? Those words sent me moving forward.
Narval: From babyhood I was a delicate child. Mama tried every conceivable remedy for the restoration of my health. She spent sleepless nights with me during my illnesses. During my better days, I would entangle her feet in the kitchen and she always tolerated me there. That’s the reason I have been cooking and baking since a little boy.
