Video: Houston woman celebrates 100 years of life

HOUSTON, Miss.(WCBI)— One Houston resident is celebrating a milestone as she turns a century year old. She’s got a full weekend of celebrating planned.

Living to see 100 years is a blessing many people hope for but for Ms. Willie Lee Brand, it came to pass this weekend.

” We’ve been looking forward to this day for, oh my goodness, so many months. We’ve been planning and just so excited because it’s just something you don’t see a lot. We are just so happy to see everyone here and able to see her to live to see 100,”said Brand’s granddaughter Pamela Payton.

Brands grandson Stan Allen organized his grandmother’s 100th birthday celebration. Sharing memories along the way but for Allen one memory stands out.

” Well my grandmother, all our lives, every time you’re going to go see her, you have to have something for her. Every time she sees you she’s going to ask you for a dollar bill. If it’s a 10 or a 20, she’ll say, well I’ll take it but could you give me some change. I would say grandmother why do you want that? She says because that way, it looks like I have more than I have,”said Allen.

The celebration consisted of several certificate presentations, including a proclamation signed by Mayor Stacy Parker.  Larry Brymer says knowing her love of dollar bills he couldn’t resist giving brand his gift.

” I found a 1917 dollar bill, I actually have it here in my pocket. Is that not neat or what? I’m going to wait on her to ask me for a dollar bill then I’m going to give her a 1917 dollar bill, since obviously that’s the year of her birth,”said family friend Brymer.

Allen says he’s hopeful to see his grandmother live many more years.

“She’s a wonderful lady. She says what she feels, she says I eat right, I dress right, She’s always dressing. She puts her earrings on everyday and I think she’s a blessing,”said Allen.

Ms. Brand has collected more than 163 dollar bills over the course of the weekend, that does include the bill printed in 1917.