Still OT At 108; Audrey Rose Jones Sasser
Bill Schenley
Never Liked Milk. Attributes Longevity to Her Active Youth
FROM: The San Antonio Express-News ~
By Amy Dorsett
Audrey Rose Jones Sasser has seen indoor plumbing, electricity, airplane
travel, telephones and women voters become commonplace during her long
life - and as another candle was added to her cake Aug. 11, the spry,
cotton-haired centenarian once again beat the odds.
With family, friends and neighbours gathered around her, Sasser celebrated
her 108th birthday, though she'd rather not dwell on her age.
"I can't say I'm amazed," she said. "I'm not very happy with 108 - I'd like
to be younger."
Still, Sasser, petite and genteel, knows that the milestone she has reached
sets her apart from the pack.
"I'm very blessed," she said. "I am a well person."
Though it's difficult for her to hear even with two hearing aids, Sasser is
remarkably fit. She suffers few of the maladies commonly associated with
advanced age and recently learned that her vision had actually improved.
"She wore glasses, and one day she said she couldn't see with them anymore.
We took her to the doctor and he said she has 20/20 vision and only needs
reading glasses," said Lucy Moreno, one of Sasser's home health aids.
"I told her she's getting better with age."
Sasser never liked to drink milk and generally avoids it. Her favourite food
is mashed potatoes with brown gravy, and she has a sweet tooth, but enjoys
everything in moderation. Her daily breakfast is oatmeal and a cup of
coffee, and each evening after dinner she goes on a 30-minute walk around
the grounds of the retirement home where she lives.
"I'm very fortunate," she said from the sitting room of her apartment. "I
can eat most anything."
Though Sasser lives in the independent living section of the retirement
centre, her daughter insists that home health aids be with her around the
clock.
"I don't need them that much," said Sasser, who uses a cane indoors and a
walker outdoors. "But my daughter insisted because she's afraid I might
fall."
The aids provide constant companionship. They read with her from the Bible
and other religious books daily, accompany her on evening walks and make
sure that Wheel of Fortune is on her TV every evening. It's one of the few
programs she likes.
"You can't find much on TV these days," Sasser said. "I like baseball and
football, especially baseball."
It's the lack of passive entertainment that Sasser credits with her
longevity.
"I was a very active little girl, jumping rope and chasing after my
brothers. In my day, we did a lot of outside playing. We weren't indoors
with a radio or TV."
Born in northeastern Louisiana in 1898, Sasser lived on a plantation. The
family used kerosene lamps and an outhouse. She vividly remembers her family
getting a crank Victrola record player when she was in high school.
When she married, her husband, Alexander, took her back to his native Texas,
and they eventually settled at a ranch outside of Hondo. There, out of
solitude, Sasser developed a longtime love of oil painting.
An avid gardener who until a few years ago still knelt down to weed, still
paints. Her apartment is decorated with several of her works, including
depictions of her Louisiana homestead, Texas ranch and landscapes.
Sasser also enjoys card games, though bridge can be troublesome.
"It's the best game you can play," she said. "But it takes four and if one
dies, you have a hard time finding another player."
She has outlived her husband, a son, and her five brothers and two sisters.