New Jersey woman makes it to 105 years old, beats COVID

How many people can say that they beat both the Spanish Flu and COVID-19? Well, at least one.

Lucia DeClerck turned 105 a couple of weeks ago and then tested positive for COVID-19, according to NJ.com. She survived the Spanish Flu when she was 2 years old.

Lucia lives in Mystic Meadows Rehab and Nursing Center in Little Egg Harbor, where she celebrated her 105th birthday on Jan. 25. That same day she tested positive for the virus, although she exhibited no symptoms.

She was born in Hawaii (before it was a state!) and lived in California and Hawaii for the bulk of her life, moving to New Jersey when she was 78 to be closer to family. Just think of all the history she has witnessed: the Great Depression, World War II, the space race, the Cold War, the Civil Rights movement. When she was born, women didn’t even have the right to vote.

She told the Sandpaper that she has never had arthritis or cancer and didn’t even need a dental filling until she was 100 years old. Until she was 101, she walked a mile every day. While she avoids junk food, she does enjoy gin-soaked raisins and eats at least one avocado a day.

She recommends prayer as part of a strategy for life, adding, “The only way to live right is to do right, and to be kind to people. Please be kind to anybody you’re associated with because you may be treating an angel and you don’t even know it.”

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Doyle. Any opinions expressed are Bill Doyle's own.