The late Mrs. Matilda Davies, familiarly known as Auntie Matilda was born to Madam Agnes Worman, and Mr. Samuel Adolphous Patrick Jarrett, both of blessed memory, on Thursday 3rd of August 1936 at Saltpond, Central Region.

Auntie Matilda attended both primary and middle school at Akyim Oda Presbyterian Girls School. After completing middle school in 1954, she moved to Agona Swedru to live with her maternal grand aunt, Madam Florence Dugan of blessed memory, who was an entrepreneur. Her grand aunt was into baking. To make herself useful with her new family, Auntie Matilda started selling buff loaf produced by her auntie. She would always take her doughnuts to the Cadbury and Fry office where a certain young man would always buy everything she was selling. Little did she know that the young man was going to be her future husband. This handsome young man (Mr. Daniel Kingsley Olu-Davies of blessed memory) later became her husband.

Following their marriage in 1955, they were blessed with five children. She unfortunately lost her first born at an early age due to an unknown illness. During this time, her husband who was an employee of Cadbury and Fry also went through a series of transfers to Nkawkaw, Takoradi and finally to Kumasi where they settled for a while. However, in 1986, they finally moved to Accra to live at No. 19 Lily Street, Teshie /Nungua.

The late Matilda Davies was a Christian of the Catholic denomination but later converted to the Anglican denomination after being married to her beloved husband who was an Anglican. She became a devoted Anglican by faith and was a member of the Mother’s Union and St Mary’s Guild at St Cyprian’s Anglican church in Kumasi. Her memberships in these unions took her to London to attend the Lambeth Conference in the 1970’s. She was with the Mother’s Union in Kumasi until she relocated to Accra in 1986. She initially registered at All Saints Anglican church at Adabraka but later joined St Peter’s Anglican Church Nungua due to its proximity to home in 1997. Due to some family challenges, she could not be active with the unions but kept her faith with the Anglican Church.

Whilst in Takoradi, Auntie Matilda embarked on a career in hairdressing after going through a brief training in Accra. In Kumasi in the 1960’s to 70’s when wearing of wig became the fashion of the day, she moved a step higher from just styling of hair to sewing of wigs in commercial quantities. The hair business at the time had a lot of challenges, however she thrived to establish a wholesale enterprise. Her clients came all the way from Accra and Takoradi to purchase hair in large quantities. Everyone and all the children living with her were involved in this business. Whenever there was a big order, we had to help weave the wigs for sewing and it sometimes took us to the middle of the night. We used to compete amongst ourselves to be the first to finish.

Auntie Matilda continued with the wig business until 1974 when she, together with her husband, visited State Housing Corporation (Kumasi) to buy a house. Armed with the skill in taking advantage of any opportunity for business, she transitioned into supplying of timber boards, sand, and stones to State Housing Corporation. This gave birth to DATILAM ENTERPRISE a name which was an anadrome of MATILDA. Due to her hard work, she became one of the main suppliers for State Housing Corporation in both Accra and in Kumasi. In the late 70’s she transitioned into becoming a building contractor for State Housing Corporation and State Construction Company (SCC) until the early 80’s when the Revolution adversely affected her business.

In 1986 Auntie Matilda and her late husband relocated to Accra to be closer to their children. She and her husband moved to their house at No.19 Lily Street Teshie/Nungua Estates to start a new life in a new environment. Being a lady who admired beautiful surroundings and her love for flora, she started planting flowers on her compound just as she did at her previous home in Kumasi. Within a few months neighbours started referring to the house as “Flower House”. Through that she made friends with Mrs. Edith Kwakye of blessed memory. Mrs. Kwakye would pick her up on weekends to hunt for new potted plants to buy for their gardens. She developed her passion for flowers so much that it became a commercial venture with variety of flowers (like orchids and anthurium) of different colours.She learnt flower arrangements on her own and made sure each of her immediate family members got a bouquet of flowers on their birthdays which she never forgot. This business went on until she was called to her maker. Maa, we know you tried to get us your children involved in your business, but we always thought we would have more time. We promise to keep your passion alive, and we will continue to build your business just as you wished and make you proud.