ROANOKE, Va. —
Folks in Roanoke celebrated a very special lady Sunday, as she turns 107 years old. Her secret to long life? "If I go slow, I can go some more. If I go fast, I won't last!" Those are the words of the youthful Nannie Calloway.
Friends and family held a surprise birthday party for Calloway at Williams Memorial Baptist Church Sunday afternoon. Calloway turned 107 years old just a few weeks ago.
The church's pastor presented her with flowers, and those who have known her for decades shared their memories of her youthful spirit.
"She helped me in Sunday School and church," said Deborah Allen Swain. "And after we moved to Williams Baptist Church I used to pick her up with the van. Ms. Calloway, at 90, at 104, would get up in the van better than I could!"
Calloway's friends tell Your Hometown News Leader she kept her independence for a long time. They say she got her driver's license when she was about 75 years old, and didn't give it up until she was in her 90s.
