Nebraska woman, 100, shares her secret to longevity at surprise birthday party

A Nebraska woman shares her secret to a long life.

Marian Fitzwater celebrated her 100th birthday on November 30 surrounded by five generations of her family.

The surprise festivities began at Ridgewood Senior Living in Bennington, Neb., where her family presented a slideshow of her life, allowing her to relive her most meaningful moments.

“Very emotional. Yes, it really was,” Fitzwater told local news station KETV about the slideshow.

Great moments in Fitzwater’s life include working at the Glenn L. Martin Bomber Plant, an aircraft factory, at age 18 during World War II, owning a Sears store and delivering Meals on Wheels, where she met her husband .

“He wouldn’t allow us to get engaged or married until he got home from the war, so we had to wait, and that was the longest wait I’d ever had in my life,” Fitzwater said of her husband. The couple had three children.

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The great-grandmother, who was described as the “anchor of the family” by her youngest son, Phillip Fitzwater, told KETV that she is taking life “one day at a time” and trying to just “be happy.”

“To be open and positive, to accept your life and be happy with what your life is,” Phillip echoed his mother’s sentiments.

“My motto in life is, ‘I tried,'” Fitzwater said with a laugh. “I just want to try new things and I’m not afraid to try new things so I just do them.”

And try things she has — according to KETV, the matriarch was busy kayaking, yoga, and even taking a helicopter ride well into her 90s.

“My health is good, my memory is mediocre – it’s not bad,” she said. “And I count my many blessings every day.”