Upstate woman celebrates 108th birthday surprise

HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (FOX Carolina) - Lake White is celebrating her 108th birthday with the surprise of her life.

White got her birthday wish when her family brought her from Central to Hendersonville for a party thrown by the pastors she watches on television every Sunday morning.

Dr. Greg Mathis, of Mud Creek Baptist Church in Hendersonville and Dr. Ralph Sexton, of Ralph Sexton Ministries in Asheville greeted White with flowers, gift baskets, local apples and tomatoes. They then treated her to lunch with her favorite dessert, pound cake with strawberries.

“Just knowing that I have people like her praying. She’s lived a long time. God has blessed her. I asked her, why did you live so long and she said, ‘because I took seriously the commandment to honor your mama and daddy’ and I said you must have done a good job,” Pastor Mathis said.

White said her secret to a long, happy life is staying strong in faith.

“He didn’t tell me how many days but I’ve come this far,” White said.

In 108 years, White has witnessed more than most can imagine. She has lived through two pandemics, beating COVID-19 twice. As a child, she remembers seeing the empty streets during the Spanish Flu.

“I didn’t see a soul on the street and the courthouse was even closed. People didn’t scatter like they do now so it got over quicker when they didn’t scatter,” White said.

Growing up in Six Mile, White moved to Alabama during World War II. She worked on B-29 planes, crawling inside the wings to make repairs.

Her fascination with flight began the first time she saw a plane, years earlier, when the Wright Brothers were in town.

“We jumped in the old car, the cranked-up kind, and we went to this pasture by Pickens High School and it landed there so we got to go in it,” White said.

After Lake met her husband, they had a family and settled in Pickens County. They both worked for Clemson University and helped put her son and daughter through school.

Lake taught Sunday school and stayed active in her church. She even taught vacation bible school until she hit 100!

“I’ve had a happy life,” White said.

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