BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C.–Want to live to 100? If so, Emily Manigault Reid of Moncks Corner might hold the answers on how to get there. On May 20th, she officially celebrated her milestone membership into the “centenarian’s club.”
Reid has managed to surpass the average life expectancy in the United States by 21.4 years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, life expectancy at birth in this country currently stands at 78.6 years.
For those who plan on sticking around as long as possible, the journey there is not guaranteed, of course. Statistics show that there is only a 30% chance of making it to your 90th birthday, and only about 14 in 1,000, or less than two percent, will see 100. 70-year-olds have a somewhat better prognosis.
Reid is clearly beating the odds and says that the secret to living a long, happy life is rather quite simple–and that it’s honestly not really a secret.
She attributes her long life to, “believing, trusting and obeying what God says to do, and eating what grows from the earth.”
You won’t ever find junk food and sweets a regular part of Reid’s diet. According to her, she is not a fan of processed foods, and she claims that much of the fruits and vegetables in the supermarkets “don’t have much taste” as the organic fruits and vegetables that she ate when she was growing up.
“She doesn’t like eating food that has been genetically engineered. She lives a very simple life, and she loves spending time with her family,” stated Dawn Reid, her granddaughter.
Always active, Reid says some of her favorite things to do when growing up was climbing trees, playing basketball, and spending time with family.
“I not only was, but I am an excellent basketball player,” stated Reid.
Reid’s granddaughter says that her family actually has video of her grandmother playing basketball at age 98. [SEE PROOF ABOVE]
“During her spare time, she travels and spends time with her family, her church family and helping out in the community wherever she can. Age is just a number,” stated Reid’s granddaughter.
Reid was born on May 20, 1919 in Moncks Corner, South Carolina to Charles and Effius Manigault. She is the granddaughter of Jingo and Sarah Manigault, both who were slaves from Moncks Corner.
For many of us, we just can’t imagine a simpler time without our smartphones or the internet. It’s safe to say that compared to today, things were much different than when Reid was born.
In 1919, the average price of bread was just 10 cents, butter cost 68 cents, and eggs sold for 63 cents. A middle-class family made about $1,500 per year. Alcohol was also made illegal in 1919 thanks to the National Prohibition Act, movies were silent, women could not vote, the minimum wage didn’t exist and the civil rights movement, which called for an end to racial discrimination, was still about 30 years away.
Reid went to Berkeley Training School in Moncks Corner, and later married and moved to Charleston, SC in 1941. She spent nearly 40 years as a nurse, but the word “retirement” is not in her vocabulary.
At the age of 81, she did voluntary missionary work with her church in Africa, and at the age of 89 she went door to door campaigning for Barack Obama’s presidency. At the age of 92, she was preparing for a job interview..
“When I asked her what was she interviewing for, she told me that she was going to go and see what they had for her,” her granddaughter stated.
Reid is a true reminder that no matter how old you are, age is nothing more of mind over matter.
On Saturday, May 25, 2019, Reid will gather with family and friends at Heart to Heart International Ministries in Moncks Corner to continue the celebration of her huge milestone.
She and her late husband have 4 children, 8 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren and 11 great-great-grandchildren.
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