Mr. Virgil Henry says the secret to a long life is “hard work,” and at 101 years old, who can argue with that? Henry was born Nov. 23,1918 and celebrated turning 101 with family, friends and staff at Hanceville Nursing Home, where he lives today.
Born and raised in the Simcoe community, Henry recalls a time when most people had few possessions or money, but neighbors supported each other, making life good. Henry’s family earned a living as farmers.
“I remember riding with dad in the wagon to Good Hope,” he said. “It was a very muddy road back then. It took all day and I don’t remember why we went. We had two mules pulling the wagon. I was probably just 7 or 8, a little bitty fella. It was one day a going and one day a coming back!”
Henry went to school at the old Methodist church in Simcoe before finishing at Fairview.
On growing up as a kid in the 20s and 30s, he said, “There wasn’t a whole lot to do, but we went to church every Sunday. I remember watching my mother in the garden, and she had beautiful flowers.”
He loves Christmas!
“We’d get maybe three apples in a sock hung across the fire board,” he smiled. “That was like a thousand-dollar bill back then. We enjoyed Christmastime.”
While at Fairview, Henry enjoyed playing basketball.
He explained, “When my sister was in school, a kid got killed playing football. They didn’t play sports like they do now. There was no football for several years. We all played basketball.”
Henry said he tried to join the military after finishing school at Fairview.
“They turned me down three of four times, and I was so disappointed,” he shared.
He was unable to pass the medical requirements but that didn’t stop him from returning over and over in hopes of making it.
Life for Henry changed when some friends asked him to join them on a trip to Birmingham. Also invited was a beautiful young woman named Ruth.
“It was love at first sight. I believe so!” Henry smiled.
After dating a couple of years, Virgil and Ruth married. They will celebrate their 70th anniversary later this year.
He said of Ruth, “She is a doll. She’s my sweetheart and I love her! She comes to see me about every day. She’s a good one!”
He added, “We had good times. We went to dances and lived it up, I guess. She made me laugh a lot.”
Besides being a great wife and mother, he said of his bride, “She is good at so many things. She’s a great cook.”
When asked which of Ruth’s dishes is his favorite, he said sweetly, “I like everything she made, but I liked her better.”
Ruth worked at the laundry at St. Bernard College for several years. The couple raised three children and attended Sacred Heart Catholic Church for many years.
“It’s a beautiful church inside and out,” Henry said.
After he was married, Henry began working at Peoples Drug Store.
“It was across from Mary Carter. I really enjoyed it,” he said.
When asked what he did, he smiled, “I was just a flunky.”
He was a clerk at Peoples for more than 20 years.
After Peoples Drug Store closed, Henry began working at Mary Carter and did so until he was 92. He stayed busy, though, by continuing to mow his own yard until he was 95. Virgil and Ruth called the city of Cullman home for many, many years.
“I love Cullman,” he said. “It’s the garden spot of the world.”
Although Henry played basketball, these days he enjoys watching the Atlanta Braves and proudly wears his Braves hat, proclaiming, “I’m a fan from way back. I also like the Bearcats, Alabama and Auburn.”
He also enjoys regular visits from his wife Ruth, his family and church family as well as friends and neighbors.
He is very appreciative of the loving staff at Hanceville Nursing Home saying, “They are so sweet and good to me. I enjoy it here.”
Henry witnessed countless changes in his lifetime, and he believes it’s great, saying, “I think it’s fine and things are easier. I think it’s better now, but then again, we had no worries. Nobody had anything, and I remember one man in the community and he had all the money. He saved it and had it good, but he didn’t help his neighbors. So, did he have it good?”
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