Centenarians: share secrets to living a long life

People are living longer than ever. A recent report, produced by the National Center for Health Statistics, revealed that life expectancy reached a record high of 76.9 years, with the gaps between Blacks and Whites as well as men and women narrowing over time.

In 1950, Whites lived 8.3 years longer than Blacks. By 2000, that gap was 5.6 years, the study reported. Centenarians, people who live to be 100 or older, are also on the rise. A study showed centenarians are the world's fastest-growing age group. It's reported that there are some 50,000 people over the age of 100 in the United States alone. That's three times as many people as there were two decades ago.

JET Magazine recently spoke with a few centenarians who shared their advice for living a successful long life. A general consensus among them is that a strong faith in God and clean living are some of the key qualities of living to 100.

Sallie Clark, 108, a former homemaker, was born in Macon, GA, on July 20, 1894. Currently residing in the Bronx, NY, she is the mother of nine children; four are deceased. Living long must be in her genes because her mother lived to be 102. A missionary in the Pentecostal church, Ms. Clark loves to talk about the Lord. She says that's "what keeps me going." Though she currently resides in a rehab center, she remains active there by praising the Lord as a member of its choir. Her favorite song to sing is Love Lifted Me. She believes in watching her diet and eats mostly lamb's stew, string beans and rice. She also loves to eat corn bread.

BB Hollins, 106, a former roofer, was born and still lives in Jackson, MS. He is the father of 13 children; one is deceased. Mr. Hollins says that living long "runs on his side of the family." His mother died at 110, one sister died at 101 and another sister died at 99. An elder in the Church of God in Christ, Hollins calls church "the joy of my life." He also likes to watch TV and loves sports. His favorite sport to watch is baseball. As a member of the oldest fraternal organization in America, the Prince Hall Masons, he continues to work with the fraternal order that has a religious base. In fact, the lodge that he belongs to recently announced a scholarship in his name.

Mamie J. Rearden, 104, of Edgefield, SC, is a former schoolteacher and the mother of 11 children and two adoptive children. Ms. Rearden likes sewing, crocheting, singing in the choir at the Baptist church she attends and visiting the sick and the shut-in. She credits her longevity to "not being a gossip and treating everyone the way she wants to be treated."

Leonard Bennett, 103, was born in Pulaski, MS, but now lives in Gulfport. Mr. Bennett is the father of five; one is deceased. A former handyman, he dropped out of school in the fourth grade so that he could work to make money for his family. Though he left school early, Mr. Bennett values education so much so that he made sure that all of his children either graduated from college or attended. He loves watching baseball, especially the Atlanta Braves. Also a member of the Masons, he busies himself by working with the fraternal order. When he's not taking a walk to the barbershop to hang out with his buddies, he likes working in his garden. Church is also important in the deacon and honorary trustee's life. His philosophy for living a long life is "God first, early to bed, early to rise and hard work." Also, he credits "God's grace, homegrown food and eating before you get hungry and going to bed before you get sleepy" to contributors of his peaceful life.

Sadie Stinson, 105, is a native of Grenada, MS, but currently resides in Chicago. She also says living long is in her genes; it's a "West Indian" hereditary thing. But more importantly than that, she credits her longevity to Christian living. She's never smoked, but years ago she admits to using "some kind of tonic." Her sister, Bernice Stinson Lewis, who is 87, says that Sadie is really "106 but Sadie lost count of a year." Ms. Stinson, who never married or had children, is an independent woman. She lives alone and still washes for herself on a scrub board and continues to cook some of her favorite foods, which include turnip greens and hot water corn bread. She doesn't eat much canned foods and loves fresh vegetables. She has most of her own teeth, doesn't wear glasses and still catches the bus everywhere she wants to go. A former seamstress, she still loves to sew and knit.

Katie Rivers-Williamson, 105, a former sharecropper and field hand, is the mother of three; two are deceased. She enjoys sharing her wisdom with others, including the sayings "always keep some cheese (money) tucked away for a rainy day" and "never let your right hand know what your left hand is doing." Ms. Rivers-Williamson credits her secret to a long life to her "strong belief in God and the memories of chasing her grandchildren with a switch in the fields." Her favorite scripture is Psalm 23 and she enjoys singing the song Give Me Wings.

Ida M. Williams, 101, was born and still resides in Columbia, SC. She is the mother of three, A longtime member of the National Council of Negro Women, Ms. Williams loves to read, making sure that she reads two books a week. For 12 years she worked with Meals On Wheels, where she seldom missed a day of packing meals. She was featured on the poster for the organization's March for Meals On Wheels. When she was 98, she put on her walking shoes and marched for the cause! A deaconess emeritus of a Baptist church, Ms. Williams credits "77 years of love and time to the Lord," as her reason for longevity.