Centenarians Offer Long-Life Secrets

Today is Centenarians' Day. Centenarians' Day is a day to recognize and pay our respect to those who have reached the iconic status of a century-worth of life. According to USAToday, in 2005, there were 71,000 Americans 100 years or older. The U.S. Census Bureau expects that by the end of this year there will be 114,000 Centenarians and growing to 241,000 by 2020. Of those 114,000, we have the pleasure of having 15 living here with us at Morningside Ministries! We spoke to three of our Centenarians at Morningside Ministries and they had this to say about the "secret" to living to 100 years old:


Angelina Spencer will turn 102 on October 2nd



Angela Dambrosia was born August 2, 1910 and lives at Morningside Manor. Ms. Dambrosia was never married but loved her line of work very much. She worked with a sewing machine all her life and enjoyed many kinds of music but truly adored classical. Angela’s centenarian “secret” comes from her love for dancing.

Marguerite Lewis, who will turn 100 on November 28, 1910, lives at Kaulbach Assisted Living. She was married for 70 years before her husband passed away a few years ago. The couple loved to travel, visiting every state in the US. She recollects her marriage as being a wonderful and happy experience. Ms. Lewis’ “secret” is to thank God every day for her health and finding peace in her prayers.

Caroline Sanford was born December 18, 1907. Ms. Sanford lived in San Antonio, for 25 years before moving to Ingram, Texas for another 25 years. She currently lives in Boerne and for the last 4 years has been living at the Menger House. While in San Antonio, Mrs. Sanford volunteered at a children's hospital for 15 years. She and her husband traveled to all 50 states and loves to read and listen to music. It is very important to her to stay active and believe in God. She believes her “secret” to living to 100 is to "keep on going."

According to the National Centenarians Awareness Project, the most important secret to becoming a centenarian is to stay active and social. Whether it’s a walk in the park or attending social events, today’s Centenarians are the role models for the future of aging. Like Ms. Dambrosia, Ms. Lewis and Ms. Sanford believe: It is never too late to enjoy the little things in life.