Okla-homey
1/6/2008, 08:07 AM
Little 107 year old lady.
Yesterday, I was attending the inaugural ceremonies of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation over in Okmulgee. On the front row of the auditorium, sat Martha Berryhill, 107. She is a full-blood Creek, and the only living original land allotee left in OUr great state, and probably Oklahoma's oldest person.
OKMULGEE -- The death of a 110-year-old woman in Alva leaves Martha Berryhill, 107, the state's oldest resident. Maybe. No one keeps complete records on the extremities of longevity in the state.
http://aycu33.webshots.com/image/38952/2003055981874591100_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2003055981874591100)
The Centenarian Club of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City keeps a registry of people who are 100 or older, but the group's records are not up to date.
But Richard Ziglar of Northeast Oklahoma Active Timers keeps his own records for northeastern Oklahoma. And as far as he knows, Berryhill is the state's elder.
Born July 12, 1900, in Indian Territory, Berryhill -- a full-blood Creek Indian -- has lived all of her life in Okmulgee, said her daughter Ruby Mauk, 87.
Berryhill's father was a Methodist minister in Okmulgee County, and Berryhill has clear memories of walking back and forth to his church as a child. She married and had four children, of whom Mauk is the only survivor. She has eight grandchildren and many, many great-grandchildren.
Although Berryhill and Mauk now live with a housekeeper, Berryhill is still independent. She gets herself out of bed every morning, makes her own bed and dresses herself. She would fix her own meals if she were allowed to.
She is diabetic but has few problems with that, Mauk said. Berryhill does have hearing prob lems, so Mauk spoke for her in a telephone interview.
"She's in better shape than I am," Mauk said.
Berryhill credits her faith for her longevity, Mauk said. "She says, 'Talk to God, and do his will,' " Mauk said. Mauk shares Berryhill's strong need to witness her faith.
"I've got something to live for. The Lord uses me to witness to people as I see the need," she said.
Yesterday, I was attending the inaugural ceremonies of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation over in Okmulgee. On the front row of the auditorium, sat Martha Berryhill, 107. She is a full-blood Creek, and the only living original land allotee left in OUr great state, and probably Oklahoma's oldest person.
OKMULGEE -- The death of a 110-year-old woman in Alva leaves Martha Berryhill, 107, the state's oldest resident. Maybe. No one keeps complete records on the extremities of longevity in the state.
http://aycu33.webshots.com/image/38952/2003055981874591100_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2003055981874591100)
The Centenarian Club of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City keeps a registry of people who are 100 or older, but the group's records are not up to date.
But Richard Ziglar of Northeast Oklahoma Active Timers keeps his own records for northeastern Oklahoma. And as far as he knows, Berryhill is the state's elder.
Born July 12, 1900, in Indian Territory, Berryhill -- a full-blood Creek Indian -- has lived all of her life in Okmulgee, said her daughter Ruby Mauk, 87.
Berryhill's father was a Methodist minister in Okmulgee County, and Berryhill has clear memories of walking back and forth to his church as a child. She married and had four children, of whom Mauk is the only survivor. She has eight grandchildren and many, many great-grandchildren.
Although Berryhill and Mauk now live with a housekeeper, Berryhill is still independent. She gets herself out of bed every morning, makes her own bed and dresses herself. She would fix her own meals if she were allowed to.
She is diabetic but has few problems with that, Mauk said. Berryhill does have hearing prob lems, so Mauk spoke for her in a telephone interview.
"She's in better shape than I am," Mauk said.
Berryhill credits her faith for her longevity, Mauk said. "She says, 'Talk to God, and do his will,' " Mauk said. Mauk shares Berryhill's strong need to witness her faith.
"I've got something to live for. The Lord uses me to witness to people as I see the need," she said.