‘I Thank the Good Lord’: Woman Celebrates Becoming Oldest Texan at 114 Years Old

A woman in Houston, Texas, who recently celebrated her 114th birthday, is now the oldest person living in the state, and her family members are grateful for her presence in their lives.

When Elizabeth Francis was asked how it feels to reach such a milestone birthday, she simply replied, “I just thank the good Lord for keeping me,” People reported Friday.

She was surrounded by five generations of family members, and the group included her daughter, Dorothy Williams, who is 94, and her granddaughter, Ethel Harrison, who is 68.

“She always grew her vegetables in the backyard. I never saw her go to a fast food restaurant … like Chick-fil-A and all the places I liked to go. She never did that,” she explained, adding the elderly woman never failed to pay attention to her health.

Francis was born on July 25, 1909, and her birthplace was in Louisiana. She later moved to Houston, where she worked and cultivated a vibrant life.

To put her birthday in perspective, William Howard Taft was elected the 27th president of the United States in 1909, serving in the office until 1913, according to the White House website.

Video footage from 2021 shows Francis celebrating her 112th birthday when community members organized a parade in her honor, KHOU reported:

The outlet noted that throughout her life, she witnessed women fighting for the right to vote, World World I, the Spanish Flu, the Great Depression, and World War II, among other historic events.

Her faith and loved ones have always been the most important things in her life. She now enjoys three grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren, according to People.

Her daughter called it a blessing “Because she has been a wonderful mother and grandmother to all of us. She has been our backbone.”