{"id":20891,"date":"2025-03-13T17:21:03","date_gmt":"2025-03-13T21:21:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/?p=20891"},"modified":"2025-03-13T17:21:03","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T21:21:03","slug":"107-year-old-woman-shares-her-surprising-secret-to-a-long-and-happy-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2025\/03\/107-year-old-woman-shares-her-surprising-secret-to-a-long-and-happy-life.html","title":{"rendered":"107-Year-Old Woman Shares Her Surprising Secret to a Long and Happy Life"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Patricia Wharton \/ SWNS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Faith, family, and a love for dressing up have shaped one centenarian\u2019s extraordinary life\u2014along with a few unexpected surprises.<\/p>\n

Recently, Mary Thomas, a great-great-great-grandmother, celebrated her 107th birthday surrounded by loved ones who described her journey as a testament to resilience, adaptability, and unwavering love. Born on February 14, 1918, during World War I, Mary marked the occasion at her home in Stonebridge, a neighborhood in Brent, London.<\/p>\n

Affectionately known as “Mama,” Mary was joined by six generations of her family for the milestone event. Her relatives honored her remarkable longevity with a special cake baked in the shape of the numbers 1-0-7, a tribute to a life well-lived.<\/p>\n

True to her signature style, Mary arrived at her birthday party in an elegant all-white outfit, complete with a fur-trimmed hat, a nod to her lifelong love for dressing up. Family friend Patricia Wharton described the gathering as a day filled with joy, laughter, and heartfelt tributes. “Mary\u2019s journey through life has been nothing short of extraordinary,” she told SWNS.<\/p>\n

Originally from Dunbarton, Jamaica, Mary moved to the United Kingdom 32 years ago but remained deeply connected to her roots, making frequent visits back home over the years. She was married to Charlie Thomas, with whom she had eight children. Today, her family has grown to include 25 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren, 25 great-great-grandchildren, and five great-great-great-grandchildren.<\/p>\n

Although Charlie passed away 30 years ago at the age of 79, Mary continues to speak of him fondly, cherishing the life they built together.<\/p>\n

Mary\u2019s long life has been filled with both immense joy and profound loss. Of the 12 children she gave birth to, four tragically passed away in infancy, a sorrow that left an indelible mark on her heart.<\/p>\n

On her birthday, her family went to great lengths to make her feel special. Her children and grandchildren doted on her, checking in throughout the celebration to ensure she was enjoying the day. Guests marveled at her sharp memory and ability to recite scripture effortlessly, Wharton noted. Despite her age, Mary remains a strong-willed and no-nonsense grandmother, as her grandchildren affectionately describe her.<\/p>\n

More than just a birthday party, the gathering was a testament to the love, faith, and strength that define Mary\u2019s life. Wharton reflected that the event showcased the deep connections spanning six generations of the Thomas family. From her great-great-grandchildren to her great-great-great-grandchildren, every family member cherished the opportunity to celebrate their beloved matriarch.<\/p>\n

While Mary\u2019s deep faith and strong family ties are key to her longevity, experts suggest that a combination of healthy eating, staying active, proper medication, essential supplements, and good sleep all contribute to a long and fulfilling life.<\/p>\n

Mary Thomas’ story is a beautiful reminder that a life well-lived is one filled with faith, family, love, and a little bit of style.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Faith, family, and a love for dressing up have shaped one centenarian\u2019s extraordinary life\u2014along with a few unexpected surprises. Recently, Mary Thomas, a great-great-great-grandmother, celebrated her 107th birthday surrounded by loved ones who described her journey as a testament to resilience, adaptability, and unwavering love. Born on February 14, 1918, during World War I, Mary…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":462,"featured_media":20897,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20891","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspiring-messages"],"yoast_head":"\n107-Year-Old Woman Shares Her Surprising Secret to a Long and Happy Life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Family, faith and a love of dressing up are all a major part of one centenarian's life \u2014 but her years on this Earth have produced a few surprises as well.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2025\/03\/107-year-old-woman-shares-her-surprising-secret-to-a-long-and-happy-life.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"107-Year-Old Woman Shares Her Surprising Secret to a Long and Happy Life\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Family, faith and a love of dressing up are all a major part of one centenarian's life \u2014 but her years on this Earth have produced a few surprises as well.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2025\/03\/107-year-old-woman-shares-her-surprising-secret-to-a-long-and-happy-life.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Inspiration Report\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-03-13T21:21:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/89\/2025\/03\/107-yo-woman_credit-Patricia-Wharton-SWNS.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Grace Williams\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"107-Year-Old Woman Shares Her Surprising Secret to a Long and Happy Life","description":"Family, faith and a love of dressing up are all a major part of one centenarian's life \u2014 but her years on this Earth have produced a few surprises as well.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2025\/03\/107-year-old-woman-shares-her-surprising-secret-to-a-long-and-happy-life.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"107-Year-Old Woman Shares Her Surprising Secret to a Long and Happy Life","og_description":"Family, faith and a love of dressing up are all a major part of one centenarian's life \u2014 but her years on this Earth have produced a few surprises as well.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2025\/03\/107-year-old-woman-shares-her-surprising-secret-to-a-long-and-happy-life.html","og_site_name":"Inspiration Report","article_published_time":"2025-03-13T21:21:03+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":900,"url":"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/89\/2025\/03\/107-yo-woman_credit-Patricia-Wharton-SWNS.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Grace Williams","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2025\/03\/107-year-old-woman-shares-her-surprising-secret-to-a-long-and-happy-life.html","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2025\/03\/107-year-old-woman-shares-her-surprising-secret-to-a-long-and-happy-life.html","name":"107-Year-Old Woman Shares Her Surprising Secret to a Long and Happy Life","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2025\/03\/107-year-old-woman-shares-her-surprising-secret-to-a-long-and-happy-life.html#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2025\/03\/107-year-old-woman-shares-her-surprising-secret-to-a-long-and-happy-life.html#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/89\/2025\/03\/107-yo-woman_credit-Patricia-Wharton-SWNS.jpg","datePublished":"2025-03-13T21:21:03+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-13T21:21:03+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/#\/schema\/person\/aea408b5be59bf6e05556b03859b6b79"},"description":"Family, faith and a love of dressing up are all a major part of one centenarian's life \u2014 but her years on this Earth have produced a few surprises as well.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2025\/03\/107-year-old-woman-shares-her-surprising-secret-to-a-long-and-happy-life.html#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2025\/03\/107-year-old-woman-shares-her-surprising-secret-to-a-long-and-happy-life.html"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2025\/03\/107-year-old-woman-shares-her-surprising-secret-to-a-long-and-happy-life.html#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/89\/2025\/03\/107-yo-woman_credit-Patricia-Wharton-SWNS.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/89\/2025\/03\/107-yo-woman_credit-Patricia-Wharton-SWNS.jpg","width":1200,"height":900,"caption":"Patricia Wharton \/ SWNS"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2025\/03\/107-year-old-woman-shares-her-surprising-secret-to-a-long-and-happy-life.html#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"107-Year-Old Woman Shares Her Surprising Secret to a Long and Happy Life"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/","name":"Inspiration Report","description":"Inspiration News, Life Advice and Emotional Wellness","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/#\/schema\/person\/aea408b5be59bf6e05556b03859b6b79","name":"Beliefnet Staff","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/6f7\/6f77b66a3e683e8aeba5be93e4ae3e04x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/6f7\/6f77b66a3e683e8aeba5be93e4ae3e04x96.jpg","caption":"Beliefnet Staff"},"url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/author\/skirk"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20891","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/462"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20891"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20891\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20903,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20891\/revisions\/20903"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20897"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}