Elizabeth Francis, a Texas resident, recently celebrated her 114th birthday in style, surrounded by five generations of her family.
Francis told KTRK-TV that she felt “very, very young” despite her advanced age. “Look at me, I’m like a little young chicken,” she expressed. Francis revealed that the key to her longevity was that she never smoked or drank but ate “everything.”
The “supercentenarian” always grew her veggies and ate at home rather than choosing fast food, according to her granddaughter Ethel Harrison, who spoke to KTRK. “Whenever you went to her house, I don’t care what day of the week, she was cooking,” Harrison disclosed. “So, I just think that had a lot to do with it, too. Just how she took care of her body and things like that.”
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Francis has three grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren. A Norwegian film crew as well as researcher and CEO of LongeviQuest Ben Meyers, who primarily studies people who are old, was also present for her birthday celebration.
“She is the oldest in Texas, the oldest living person in Texas, number two in the United States, number seven in the world, and number two in the world who lives at home. You live in your castle,” Meyers remarked.
Also at her side were her 94-year-old daughter, Dorothy Ray Williams, who joined her in celebrating her birthday this week, and her caregiver granddaughter, who is 68.
Williams praised her mother’s long life, saying, “It’s hard to believe, but it’s a blessing.” “Because she has been a wonderful mother and grandmother to all of us. She has been our backbone.”
Francis’ sister was 106 before she died, giving proof of the family’s great genetics. The number of centenarians is growing, almost doubling since the year 2000, according to figures cited by KTRK. There are now over 90,000 people in the U.S. who can be called centenarians. And then there are the supercentenarians like Francis, who are 110 and older.
