A Georgia woman, who turned 108 years old on Tuesday and is believed to be one of the oldest ladies in the state, said the secret to a long life is to “treat people right.”
Flora Mae White was born on December 12, 1915, and was raised in Eastman for her entire life with her family, who owned a plantation in Dodge County.
The Whites farmed cotton and vegetables and bred cows, a rare form of financial independence for black Americans in the early 1900s. However, White’s mother died when she was 12, meaning she had to quit school and get a job at a canning factory to help take care of her five younger siblings.
While she faced hard times in her life, White told 11 Alive, “The Lord blessed me with everything.”
“I had good times, and my good times always outweighed my hard times,” she told the outlet in a birthday interview.
White was happy to be able to celebrate her birthday with her family, having her children and grandchildren come to spend time with her at her nursing home.
“It made me feel good,” she said, “I was glad to have family around; I just missed my brothers and sisters.”
Cherri Lavender, one of White’s granddaughters, said her grandma is the family’s matriarch.
“I’ve never known anyone her age, 108, and I think that she has reached tremendous milestones,” Lavender told the outlet. “She has always been a giver; she’s always been the one that you go to, and she was always the shortest one but the feistiest one.”
When it comes to how she led—and continues to lead—such a long life, White follows the golden rule.
“Treat people right, and you’ll live a long time. You have to give up your right to live, and I cried many days,” she said. “Sometimes I was wrong, and sometimes I was right, but I’ve lived a good, blessed life.”
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