107-Year-Old New York Woman Credits Long Life to 'Never Getting Married'
Signore was born in 1912, the same year the Titanic sunk after hitting an iceberg
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A woman who recently turned 107-year-old claims one her secrets to living a long life is never getting married.
Louise Jean Signore from the Bronx, New York, celebrated her birthday with a hundred guests at Bartow Community Center.
Signore was born in 1912, the same year the Titanic sunk after hitting an iceberg.
Signore has lived in the Bronx since she was 14-years-old and still does all of her shopping with no assistance, cane, or wheelchair.
With Italian ancestry, Signore believes that years of eating good home food and lots of fruit and vegetables, while avoiding soda or cake, have all contributed to helping her live a long life.
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But more notably, she believes that not getting married has reduced a significant amount of stress that has kept her alive for so long.
'I think the secret of 107: I never got married. I think that’s the secret,' Signore told CBS.
'My sister says, ‘I wish I never got married.'
She also revealed other tips:
'Italian food. Italian food is very good for you. I was brought up with very good food. No soda, no cake.'
The 5ft 5in centenarian also told the station she didn't understand why today was so special.
Signore said: 'I said I’ve had enough parties.'
Looking back on her life, she added:
'If they have exercise, I do the exercise. If they have dancing, I dance. I still a do a little dancing. After my lunch, I will play bingo, so I had a full day.'
But her life has also seen many struggles, Signore is now legally blind and recently overcame pneumonia.
She survived an assault and robbery when she was 103.
The cruel attacker, who nocked her to the ground, stole $35, two meals, a magnifying glass and a pack of bingo cards, the NY Post reported.
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But she didn't let that stop her.
'I'm going to go out. I'm in good shape,' she said.
She also believes her long life runs in Signore family genes, Louise's sister is 102-years-old.
'She doesn’t take any medicine! I’m 107, and I just take a high blood pressure pill, that’s all,' Signore told CBS.
Her mother lived to be 97 and her three brothers, including twins, died in their mid-90s, the Post reported.
Signore was born in Harlem, Manhattan, in 1912, the very year motorized movie cameras launched Hollywood film-making.
She has seen eight presidents in the White House, television being invented, and two world wars.
Signore worked as an administrative assistant at New York's public transport operators before retiring at 65 in 1977.
She also believes that exercising throughout her life has kept her young at heart, including swimming and walking.
'It starts when you're young,' she told the Post last year.
'When I first started coming to the center, there was a woman who was 100 years old. I said, "Oh, my gosh, she’s 100!" And here, I’m 106.'
JASA’s senior director of senior services, Aisha Papillon, told CBS:
'I think that her connection with her neighbors in the community and also her friends here at the senior center help to keep her going.'
