She sings. She dances. She loves life. And she's about to turn 110.
Life's not that complicated, says Helen White, who’s about to turn 110.
When asked about the secret to her longevity, the vivacious white-haired lady of the deep South replied, “I just kept living, going to bed at night and getting up the next day.”
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Surrounded by friends and family, the former English teacher was feted with a cake and a plaque from the mayor of Marion, the South Carolina city she has always called home.
Staying positive, White says, is also a big help.
She loves to sing and dance. She says she will be glad when this presidential election is over.
She realizes she has certain limitations, but she remains happy to lend a hand.
“I told somebody this morning all I can do now is peel vegetables and put a bowl in my lap,” she told CBS affiliate WBTW-TV. “I can do that much to help.”
She graduated college in 1928 and taught school in Marion County. Her classes included English, math and home economics. She also coached the girls’ basketball team, though she had never dribbled a ball in her life.
“She studied from a book,” the mayor said.
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She bore a daughter, Jerry, and a son, Harry Junior. Her husband of more than 30 years died in 1984.
“Most memorable is my daughter’s birth and then later on, my son,” she said.
And every day is memorable just for the sheer pleasure of still being here, she believes.
And she’s looking forward to “better things” after the election, she said.
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