Friends and family gathered at Rosie Lee Harris’ Columbus home Monday afternoon to celebrate her birthday. It was a pretty good turnout. Columbus mayor Stephen Jones and police chief Joseph Daughtry even stopped by to honor the occasion.
As you might imagine, there was a lot of reminiscing and exchanging family stories.
But no one thought to ask Ms. Rosie what was the best thing before sliced bread.
At 103 years old, Ms. Rosie predates much of what seems to have been around forever. Sliced bread came along when she was 5. She is four years older than television, five years older than bubble gum and the Yo-yo. She is seven years older than lip gloss and the cheeseburger. Fluorescent lights came along when she was 13.
Wrapping presents was a chore back when Ms. Rosie was born since cellophane tape wouldn’t be invented until 14 years after her birth.
The list of things that came along after Rosie Lee Mitchell was born in Columbus on Feb. 2, 1923, includes 99% of the current U.S. population, according to Pew Center Research.
There have been 17 presidents since her birth, but only 12 since she and other Black Americans in the South secured the right to vote.
This is the 100th anniversary of what is known today as Black History Month, which means Ms. Rosie was 3 years old when Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a historian who was often called “The Father of Black History” established Negro History Week, choosing February because it was the birth month of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.
As part of the Bicentennial in 1976, President Gerald Ford recognized February as Black History Month, urging Americans to honor the “too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans.”
Ms. Rosie Lee’s birth month allows us to celebrate the Living History of Black History Month.
For some time now, researchers have tried to understand why some people live to 100 or older. An Ohio State study lists several things that centenarians have in common. They prioritize relationships and belong to strong communities. Whether through gardening, volunteering, or family, they have a reason to get out of bed every morning.
They exhibit a strong “will to live” and a curiosity for the future, which is often cited as the secret to a happy 100th year.
Those who know Ms. Rosie say she checks all those boxes.
Her longevity makes her something of a chronological marvel, but a life is always more than an accumulation of years.
By all accounts, Ms. Rosie had led a full and meaningful life, owning and operating both a beauty salon but a cosmetology school that was considered among the best in the state at one point.
She retired at age 95 and quit driving at age 98. A stroke four years ago has slowed her down a bit, but she still manages to live in the home she has lived in for the past 61 years, thanks to the help of a part-time care-taker. Her daughter, Janice Young Matthews, lives a house over.
“She can still do a lot of things, even at her age,” Matthews says.
“She still tries to cook a little and she gets out some, too. She’s still able to go to church and she enjoys that. There’s no dementia at all. She’s alert and interested in things. One of her favorite things is watching YouTube. She really likes to watch the videos where people build things, because she always saw herself as a builder.”
Ms. Rosie was married to John Henry Harris, Sr. for 64 years until he passed away in 2005. She is a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, the matriarch of four generations.
Advances in medicine and healthcare means more folks are living to age 100 or older. In 1950, there were only about 2,300 centenarians in the U.S., but those ranks doubled between 2010 and 2020. The centenarian population has nearly tripled over the last 30 years and is expected to quadruple over the next 30 years, pushing the 100+ population to 422,000.
But as of now, Ms. Rosie is in pretty rare company, one of about 30,000 who are 103 years old.
That makes her a treasure, not only to her family, but to our community.
So happy birthday, Ms. Rosie. We look forward to your 104th birthday celebration.
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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