Pictured here are the Pedro community’s descendants and original members, who
comprised three families and eight houses, before the rapid development in Grand
Cayman. (Back row, L-R): Shadden McLaughlin, Andrew McLaughlin, Thelma Bodden
Miller, Virginia Thompson, Errol McLaughlin, Carina Watler-Parsons, Barbara Watler,
Florence Wood, Rodger Wood, Charlene Peart, Janice McLean, Janice Watler
Nevergold, Gilbert McLean, Eleanor Connolly, Burns Bodden, Harvey Stephenson,
Gianna McLaughlin, Betty Stephenson, Darlene Ebanks. (Front row, (L-R) Graham
Watler, Cynthia Watler, Beauty Peart, Leslie Miller.  Photo by Christopher Tobutt

A small gathering of some of the ‘original’ residents of the Pedro area took place on Sunday, 4 May.

The Pedro area of Bodden Town District used to have just eight different houses in it, according to Florence Wood, who attended a reunion of the old-time Pedro residents and their families recently, on the site of where many of them used to live - a small cul-de-sac next to Beach Bay road.

“There were really three families that used to live here. There was the Watler family, the Reeves family and the Bodden family,” she explained.

“That lady in the blue dress is Cynthia Watler, and she is 83 years old,” Ms Wood said, pointing out one of the original Pedro residents in the little gathering.

The reunion was organised by Darlene Ebanks, who used to be a nurse here, until she set up her own business about 20 years ago.

“I wanted to have this party…because they die off and we don’t get to meet them so I wanted to do this,” she said.

She is first cousin to Janice Watler Nevergold, who left Cayman more than three decades ago to start a new life in Virginia with her American husband.

Pointing to a modern home, Ms Watler Nevergold said, “That was the site of John and Jane Watler’s house. Years ago this village consisted of relatives.”

Many sold their land and moved away as Grand Cayman became more developed, but there are some who did not, and still live in the same house, more-or-less.

“I lived here 34 years ago, just up the road where Darlene’s house is, although it didn’t look like it did in those days,” Ms Watler Nevergold said.

Betty Stephenson (formerly Betty Bodden) can also trace her ancestry back to this little group of houses.

She arrived at the reunion with her husband, Harvey Stephenson

Other members of the reunion, such as former Health Minister Gilbert McLean, spoke about how dramatically the area they knew as children has changed, almost beyond recognition, adding that it was nice to get together once in a while to see some familiar faces.

When the food arrived, everyone help themselves to jerk chicken and that favourite Caymanian drink, Swanky, while they talked about the old days.