The longevity revolution in Philadelphia continues. Super-centenarian Ms. Willie Lassiter recently celebrated her 111th birthday, in the company of family, friends, and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter. She is the third-oldest Pennsylvanian and the second-oldest Philadelphian.
Born on September 30, 1900, Ms. Lassiter has lived through economic depressions, segregation, world wars, and 20 of the 44 United States Presidents. She is the granddaughter of slaves and remembers when women and African-Americans couldn't vote. During the Great Depression, she stood in line to get rations of meat.
Ms. Lassiter has lived in West Philadelphia since she moved from North Carolina with her husband, Walter, in 1926. Walter died of leukemia 50 years ago, when she was 61.
She attributes her long life to the fact that she didn’t drink or smoke, and her faith; she spent 70 years as a deaconess in her West Philly church. Ms. Lassiter isn’t the only person in her family to live a long life; one of her brothers lived to be 100 years old.
Ms. Lassiter's story was featured locally on 6ABC, KYW Radio, CW Philly and WHYY. The good news traveled across the country, with stories airing from Salt Lake City to Miami.
