Chicken, love are keys to long life

From the time she was born in 1925, Tallassee’s Lenora Stanfield has seen the world evolve.

From being alive when Pearl Harbor was bombed, to seeing humans go to space, Stanfield has seen it all. 

Some even say Charles Lindbergh celebrated the birth of Stanfield two years late in 1927 with a nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean to Paris.

At least that is the way some of the tales went at Stanfield’s 100th birthday celebration Saturday at Community Hospice and Home Health Care. Stanfield shared with family and friends a few secrets to gracefully aging.

“Love everybody and hate no one,” Stanfield said. “I also like chicken.”

Stanfield said she has lived a good life. Her family grew when she married George Stanfield. Then came children, Lawrence Stanfield and Sandra Middleton.

The centenarian has lived in Tallassee almost all of her life. Today Stanfield’s days are spent playing dominoes and coloring.

“Mom plays a mean game,” Lawrence said. “She does that to pass time and she watches Fox News.”

The staff hugged Lenora as if she was their mother and part of the family. In fact they are. Lawrence said his mother still lives at home with help of the folks at Community Hospice and Home Health Care.

“They check on her every morning,” Lawrence said. “They come back in the afternoon and help with dinner.”

Lenora’s husband George died a month before the couple's 60th wedding anniversary more than 20 years ago. 

“We were lucky to have them,” Lawrence said. “They were the best mom and dad.”