INDIANAPOLIS – Seventy-eight years is the average life expectancy for humans according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but one Indianapolis woman is set to surpass this statistic by 29 years when she turns 107 on Saturday.
1909 was the year Carrie Lee Braggs was born, the first Lincoln head penny was issued and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened.
So what are the secrets to a life of 107 years?
Doctors may say eating nutritious foods and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. While Braggs agrees, she also believes the secrets call to, “have faith and believe in God.”
Braggs moved to Indianapolis in 1942 with her uncle from Georgia and worked, so it makes sense many of her hobbies include sewing and crocheting.
“I loved sewing since I was a little girl,” she said.
Braggs later married and while she didn’t have any biological children, many people in the Concord Village area of Haughville on the west side of Indianapolis look up to her as a motherly figure.
“Everybody in the neighborhood calls her Grandma,” said Dora Harris, 51, who Braggs raised as a child.
Braggs remains active and can be seen around town during the North Capitol Nursing and Rehabilitation outings that include going out to dinner and to the movie theater.
For her 107th birthday, Braggs was honored with a celebration at North Capitol Nursing Rehabilitation Center Friday.
