‘I Do What the Bible Tells Me’ — Grandma Celebrates 107th Birthday, Shares Key to Longevity

A South Carolina woman, who has witnessed some of the most significant events in history, recently celebrated her 107th birthday. While looking back on her journey spanning over a century, she revealed the secret to her long life.

Adell Julie Thompson was born on October 10, 1915, in the Orangeburg County town of Santee, South Carolina. It was the same town where she spent her childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and ultimately, her old age.

Growing up, Julie said she saw monumental changes taking effect around her, many of which are imprinted on her mind and heart.

A Birthday Parade
To celebrate her 107th birthday, friends and family organized a birthday parade in Julie’s honor. It was a milestone that the elderly lady never thought she would achieve, but one whose importance wasn’t lost on her. She expressed:

“I had no dream of being 107 years. But the Lord spared me, and I try to do the right thing, I guess so people don’t talk about you.”

A Little Reflection
After having spent more than 100 years on earth, Thompson was likely to have seen and experienced a multitude of happenings.

When asked about the secret to her long and fulfilling life, Julie’s reply was short, simple, and sweet.
While talking to local news outlet WLTX, she walked down memory lane, recalling a few significant details from the bygone times.

Seeing Her Town Evolve
Growing up, the senior citizen said she saw Santee change drastically. She noted that Santee had become so huge in the past couple of years that she sometimes had difficulty identifying it as a city.

The South Carolina woman said she saw people transition from riding mules and horses to driving cars. Julie’s tone grew strikingly nostalgic as she reflected on how the town evolved in front of her eyes.

Her Personal Life
The elderly lady said she attended school in Elloree and worked as a second-grade substitute teacher in the 1930s. In 1940, she tied the knot with her late husband, Eddie Thompson.

Julie recounted spending several years helping her four brothers on family farms, where she did domestic work such as picking cotton. But that wasn’t all.

Witnessing Important Events
The centenarian said she lived through 18 U.S. presidencies, witnessed World War II, and even saw the stock market crash in 1929.

Julie, who has three children, six grandchildren, 14 great-grandkids, and three great-great-grandkids, never pictured living long enough to see Barack Obama become the first black U.S. president. “I had no dream I would see that,” she said.

The Golden Secret
When asked about the secret to her long and fulfilling life, Julie’s reply was short, simple, and sweet. She said:

“I do what the Bible tells me.”

The 107-year-old lady credited her devotion to God’s principles and the Bible’s teachings for her long and fruitful life. She also thanked the Lord for helping her do the right thing and vowed to stand by the truth until her last breath.

Another Centenarian from Atlanta
Like Ms. Thompson, another woman from Atlanta, Willie Mae Hardy, caught people’s attention in 2019. Born on March 11, 1908, when Theodore Roosevelt was the president, Hardy said she lived through World War I and II, Jim Crow, and the civil rights movement.

Being the granddaughter of a slave, she grew up in Talbot County and was a student in elementary school when World War I occurred. In her early 20s, Hardy said she married and moved to Atlanta with her husband.

In August 2019, the then-111-year-old Hardy was reportedly declared one of the oldest living people in the U.S. Her granddaughter, Veronica Edwards, shared that her grandma received a birthday card from Barack Obama and even met Michelle Obama.

When Hardy was asked the secret to her long life, she replied, “Trusting in the good Lord.”