Eunice Murphy has “seen it all,” said Redina Smith, activities director at Bradford Place in Hamilton.
Murphy, who turns 103 today, said she has witnessed plenty of historic moments in her life, but she’ll never forget July 20, 1969 when astronaut Neil Armstrong walked on the moon.
And she can’t figure out smartphones.
“They just amaze me,” she said. “I don’t have one, but I see people talking into them and getting all their information. Never thought I’d see the day.”
She also didn’t think she’d see the day she celebrated her 103rd birthday with residents at Bradford.
When asked about being 103, Murphy said: “I don think about it. It’s just another day.”
The staff and residents at Bradford will celebrate with cake, punch and entertainment from John Simpson, Smith said. She also has invited Hamilton Mayor Pat Moeller.
Bradford should be getting used to celebrating the birthdays of its centenarian residents. There are four women there who are 102, Murphy said. She’s the first to turn 103.
“Born first,” she said.
She was born on March 24, 1918 in her parents’ farmhouse just outside of Oxford. She said her parents, Bob and Rachel, had her delivered at home because there were no hospitals in the area at the time.
Her three brothers and one sister all have died, she said. She was married to Virgil Murphy for 52 years before his death, and they had no children.
Murphy graduated from McGuffey School in 1936 part of the school’s largest class at the time, 56 students. She believes she’s the last surviving member of that class.
The key to 103, she said, is to “be active, stay active and eat healthy.”
She goes to bed at 10:30 p.m. and gets up at 8 a.m. She enjoys reading, playing cards, watching TV and solving crossword puzzles.
Murphy said she uses a walker and finally stopped driving weeks before her 100th birthday.
“Just an amazing lady,” Smith said. “She’s the kindest person I know. She hugs me every time I see her."
