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A CENTURY AND COUNTING Portraits show Birdie Johnson as a young woman and later in life. Her 110th birthday is Wednesday. submitted photo Monday Nov 7, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Rebecca Scott for the Mail Tribune What are the secrets to a long life? They must include a healthy diet, regular exercise, a positive attitude and a multitude of other things. But for Birdie Johnson of Medford, whose 110th birthday is Wednesday, it’s much simpler than that. “Birdie tell us she’s ‘... just been healthy and the good Lord has taken care of me,’ ” says Patricia Johnson, Birdie’s daughter-in-law. Countless people have asked Birdie and her family how she unlocked the mystery to a long, happy life. Her family says the answer never changes no matter how many times she hears the question, insisting she doesn’t do anything different than someone else would do. Birdie’s family plans to hold a huge party three days after her Wednesday birthday to celebrate, with relatives planning to come in from all over the country. The cast of relatives includes four children, 13 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren, 11 great-great-grandchildren (and two more on the way). For the past five years, Birdie has lived in a local retirement home, where she plays bingo, Scrabble and maintains an overall active lifestyle. “She’s a very independent woman,” says Patricia. “She doesn’t want anyone to fuss over her; she wants us to take care of our families." Birdie was born in 1906 in Mansfield, South Dakota. She relocated with her husband and family to Southern Oregon in 1937. They packed up all their belongings in the car and left to join relatives in the area. “It was the Great Depression that brought our family west,” explains Roland Johnson, Birdie’s son. “We started out with $100.” Birdie raised four children — two boys and two girls — with her husband, Theodore “Ted” Johnson. While raising her children, Birdie worked in the SOS Packing Company in Medford, sorting pears. Her renaissance spirit led to a life filled with a variety of experiences and accomplishments, including playing piano, writing poetry and creating oil paintings. “Once she wrote a song inspired by the pears she was packing,” says Roland. When Birdie turns 110, she will be added to the list of supercentenarians in the United States, a list of people who have reached an age of at least 110. The Gerontology Research Group (GRG) tracks supercentenarians and substantiates longevity claims. The family says it believes that Birdie is the oldest living person in Oregon and the GRC currently does not list anyone residing in Oregon who has reached the age of 110. “She will make the history books,” says Patricia. If there was ever cause for celebration, 110 years of life on this earth is it. “It’s been a real blessing; we never dreamed we’d have Birdie this long,” explains Patricia. “She is an inspiration to all of us.” Rebecca Scott is a freelance writer living in Medford.