Ask Vallie Wood the secret to her longevity and the Flower Mound woman isn’t immediately sure. After all, when you are about to turn age 105, life is not measured in one or two memories.
“She’s lived a clean life,” said daughter-in-law Nancy, who with Woods’ son Don have hosted her for the past year. “She doesn’t drink at all. And she’s a chocoholic.”
Working crossword puzzles also helps, Don added.
They and most of her nine grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren and 8 great-great grandchildren celebrated the big day Aug. 24 at granddaughter Stefanie’s home in Fort Worth. She especially enjoyed seeing several she hadn’t seen in many years.
After living most of her life in Oklahoma, Wood moved into oldest son Cecil’s home in Grapevine in 2020. Following his death, she transferred to her current residence.
The oldest of three children earned a bachelor’s degree in education at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. She taught school two years full time and three years as a substitute in Oklahoma and Germany, where she and her Army husband Paul lived for three years. She also worked for a time as a proofreader at the Lawton Constitution and Morning Press newspaper.
Until about a year before her husband’s death in 2002, they belonged to two recreational vehicle clubs and roamed the country in a 25-foot RV. Her favorite place to visit was Louisiana where they made many friends.
“We really enjoyed the RV,” she said. “My sister and I talked him into it. I traded my car for it.”
Soon after Paul’s death, she moved to Norman to be near daughter Glenda staying until 2020. Since coming to Texas, she spends her time eating out with the many grandchildren in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, attending birthday parties, and working on her crossword puzzles.
Her opinion of Texas?
“It’s all right,” she said.
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