Elizabeth Francis turned 114 last month and attributes her long life to “the Lord.”
Texas woman Elizabeth Francis celebrates her 114th birthday, attributing her long life to God: 'Just the Lord keeping me here'. She is the seventh-oldest person in the world. pic.twitter.com/gXyZMhy312
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“Just the Lord working with me and keeping me here,” she told Fox News about her longevity.
Francis was born on July 25, 1909. She ran her own coffee shop throughout the 70s and 80s in Houston, Texas, but has never driven a car.
She noted she avoids “the bad stuff” like drinking and smoking. She stays healthy by taking walks and eating fresh vegetables and chicken.
Her granddaughter, Ethyl Harrison, praised Francis by stating, “She’s just always enjoyed giving.”
“I remember whenever we had a ceremony, or if we had an event, she was our biggest cheerleader,” she went on.
“Her main objective is to treat people the way you would want to be treated. I think that’s something that kind of stuck with me all my life,” Harrison added.
She said her grandmother “had her own garden and she would eat whatever vegetables she raised.” Harrison added her grandmother was always sharing the food with other people.
Food is something that has connected Francis to others throughout her life.
Harrison stated, “She was always cooking and someone was always at the house eating. There was always food on the table. The gentleman that she actually rented her home from would come and eat breakfast over there in the mornings. She also shared whatever she grew in the garden with her neighbors.”
This is an attribute that was passed down through generations.
“I learned from her that it’s better to give than to receive. It’s just the best [thing] to do. That’s one of the qualities that I picked up as a young girl watching her,” she concluded.
Francis currently lives with her 94-year-old daughter. She has three grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren. The all attended her 114th birthday party.
She is the oldest living person in Texas and the second oldest person in the U.S. Worldwide she is the seventh oldest living person.