At the ripe old age of 109, Vincent Dransfield is not really feeling his age anymore. The man still moves around town in his trusted car every single day- where he purchases his lunch, shops for groceries, and also run errands. This interesting individual has been living independently in a little, cozy house in Little Falls, New Jersey- where he established his residence back in 1945. According to his family, the young-at-heart man requires absolutely no help in moving through the main floor of the house, his bedroom, and also the basement where he does his own laundry. Truth be told, it does look like the man has finally found the tips for a long life.
The man was also in quite a flirty mood when a reporter called and asked about his general well-being at the age of 109. To this, Dransfield stated, “How do I feel? Let’s go out to a dance somewhere. How about that? That’s how I feel. I’ve been very, very, very lucky in my lifetime. I feel perfect.” When Dransfield’s granddaughter, Erica Lista was asked about her grandfather’s health, she said, “He doesn’t get back aches. He doesn’t get the daily aches and pains that I, at 48, get. He doesn’t get headaches, anything like that. It’s crazy. I’m an occupational therapist, so I know a lot about activities of daily living, and he requires help with none of it.”
A Long And Eventful Life Through Many Of Humanity’s Darkest Times
While there are more people living to 100 and beyond now, its still fairly rare, even more so if you’re a man. Among centenarians, 85% are women, and 15% are men, according to the New England Centenarian Study based at Boston University. Although the reasons behind it are quite unclear, one can stake a claim that this is due to the tips for a long life- that most men probably have no knowledge of. Dransfield, was born on March 28th, 1914- the year World War I began.
Dransfield has always been fairly healthy, avoiding any major diseases like heart disease or cancer. According to his granddaughter, Dransfield has always been pretty healthy. His family comprises one child, three grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
His wife of 54 years died about three decades ago- in 1992. Just last month, his family members joined him at his house to celebrate his 109th birthday- with carrot cake and pizza. When asked for tips for a long life, Dransfield talked about doing what he loved the most.
Centenarian Tips for a Long Life
For more than 80 years, he had been serving as a member of the local volunteer fire department- and had also been the chief for quite a period of time. This brought him happiness, and gave him the energy to go through life- “The fire department… I met so many friends.” His granddaughter further mentioned that Dransfield had been a regular at the firehouse- despite his old age. “After my grandmother passed away, that’s really what kept him going. Every day, he would go to the firehouse from 3 to 5, and all the old guys would sit there and hang out. That was like his family.”
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In the professional space, Dransfield worked for 60 years- where most of it was spent as an auto parts manager- before he retired in his late 70s. He recalled, “I still wanted to work but my wife said, it’s time for you to quit.” Interestingly, Dransfield attributed his health to drinking milk. After leaving school in the 8th grade, he went to work for a dairy farm at 15- so that he could support his family. He was employed as a milkman for five years- and he drank as much milk as he wanted- especially during the Great Depression. Dransfield mentioned, “I was drinking milk and eating well because I worked on a farm. And I often go back and think they gave me a good start in life and for my bones in my body.”
Doing Things In Moderation- And Always Moving.
Another tip for a long life that Dransfield talked about was moving. While he never went to the gym or lifted weights, he did move throughout his life. Speaking about it, he stated, “I was 21 years old when I joined the fire department and that’s the exercise I got every day — answered the fire alarms in Little Falls. I was active and ran out when the alarm went off for 40 years. Then for the next 40 years, (I continued) when I felt like it.” As it turns out, people who exercised for exercising tickled him. His granddaughter mentioned, “He laughs at people who jog. He’s like, ‘Where are they running to?’”
It would be incorrect to state that the man lived an absolutely perfect life. In fact, Dransfield started smoking when he was 50 years old but quit after 20 years. His granddaughter recalled, “He told me one day that he was going to just stop smoking. He threw the cigarettes out and that was it. He just never smoked again.” Guess that did form one of the tips for long life- something he swore by.
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