- Theresa Gonzalez turns 104 years old on Jan. 9, 2024.
- She said milk is her secret to a long life.
- Was a volunteer with the former P&S Hospital and the Alice CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital from the 1950s till her 100th birthday.
A grand celebration was held at an Alice nursing home for Theresa Gonzalez for her 104th birthday.
Gonzalez, originally from New Jersey, has a lot to look back on.
She moved to Texas in the early 80s where she got married, worked, and became a housewife, taking care of her husband until he died.
She picked up volunteering in the mid-50's at the former P&S Hospital in Alice, then at CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital in Alice, where she met lifelong friends.
“Very good. I enjoyed it very much. I put in a lot of years over there. It was worth it, and I made a lot of memories,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez has many memories with her friends, who had just as many stories to share. Her volunteer friends said they wouldn’t have missed her birthday.
Gonzalez makes an impression with everyone she meets.
“Whenever I do my daily rounds – I make it a point to go say good morning to her. I never know what I’m going to get – as far as a response goes,” Premier of Alice Administrator Oscar Flores said. “One thing that I’ve learned over the year and a half is that she’s going to be very blunt. And she’s going to speak her mind no matter what.”
She had been living on her own, driving and volunteering until about three years ago.
Her great niece Velma Jo Starr said that she idolizes her great-aunt and was happy to celebrate her big day.
“We never imagined she would live to be 104 but we are extremely blessed with her. She is a beautiful soul. She’s very easy to take care of. She’s not demanding… she was very active and volunteered at the hospital until she was over 100 years old,” Starr said
So, of course we had to ask, what was her secret to living such a long life?
Her answer was: “Drink a lot of milk."
The birthday girl enjoyed her day – surrounded with family and friends. Gonzalez’s friends and her niece said they were happy to spend the day with her.
All were part of a huge crowd wishing Theresa Gonzalez many blessings on her special day.
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