GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A very special “happy birthday” to Phyllis in Grand Rapids! On Wednesday, Oct. 16, she turns 100 years old even though she told 13 ON YOUR SIDE she does not feel her age.
“I feel younger. I feel like I’m 40,” said Phyllis, who asked that we not use her last name.
She was born in Missouri and moved to Grand Rapids in her early 20s.
She said, “My mother came up here as a buyer at Wurzburgs, which you probably don’t remember.”
Her mother never shared her age. Phyllis only found out after her mother’s death and told 13 ON YOUR SIDE, “My mom lived to be 85.”
It was a small family, just her mom and brother.
“And now they’re all gone,” said Phyllis.
With no more living relatives, lucky for Phyllis, one neighbor Sharon Featherly took notice. She said, “The longer I was here, the more I realized that her circle of support was pretty small,” and that she, “started keeping an eye on her and we became friends.”
Phyllis gets some help with housekeeping and meals, but mostly lives on her own.
“My goodness, I’m very impressed,” said Featherly.
Pointing to her chest, Phyllis explained how “I don’t take any medication. Well, I do now. Something’s wrong up here.”
She only just started taking heart medication in the last week.
Caroll Drudy is a longtime friend Phyllis met at work more than 40 years ago who said, “It just amazes me. She still lives alone. She pays her own bills. I mean, I struggle with that trying to figure out, oh, what did I do,” before adding, “If I live to be that long – I’m not sure that I want to, but I hope to be like her.”
“I think what keeps them going is their gumption. To just get up every day is a big deal,” said Featherly.
An even bigger deal on this day as she marks 100 years of life with Featherly planning a birthday party for her.
“Something to mark the day and make it special for her because she deserves it,” said Featherly.
“We don’t know if anybody’s coming or nobody’s coming,” said Phyllis.
Featherly assured Phyllis, “I’m sure that we will have people come.”
As for any advice from Phyllis on living so long?
She said, “I have no idea. I don’t think about it. I just don’t feel that old.”
Phyllis’ friends told 13 ON YOUR SIDE that she normally spends her days sitting in a chair in her garage to watch people walk by. Wednesday, her friends will be decorating that chair for her neighborhood birthday party.
Drudy will often pick Phyllis up for coffee or a trip to the library to get her out of the house. Phyllis said she enjoys reading mysteries but that her favorite thing to do is to sleep.