'A beautiful woman inside and out:' Wenonah Bish turns 111 and shares secrets to longevity
Here's a piece of life advice from Wenonah Bish, who turns 111 years old on Monday.
"Stay out of other people's business," she said.
Bish may keep to herself, but a lot of people around The Villas Senior Care Community in Sherman and her family members think she is the best thing since sliced bread, which she predates by some 16 years.
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Bish is likely the second-oldest living person in Illinois. She was born in Springfield in 1912, a little less than six months after the sinking of the Titanic.
Several sources verified that Susie Jackson Lewis was born in Helena, Arkansas, on August 11, 1911. Lewis now lives in Maywood.
Sangamon County Clerk Don Gray confirmed that Bish was the oldest living voter in the county.
Bish will celebrate the milestone with family members, including grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and friends at The Villas on Monday. She will have another party on Thursday for the home's residents and staff, said Vicky Kacevicius, human resource manager at The Villas.
Donald Wright Jr. said his grandmother often gets mistaken for being much younger.
Wright's father, the late Illinois State Trooper Donald Wright Sr., was one of Bish's two children with Willie Wright, Bish's first husband. She later married Edgar A. Bish.
Bish's daughter, Delores Hughes, who lives in Bolingbrook, turns 90 later this year.
Wright joked that Bish also has said: “Never let a man control your life," as her secret to longevity.
Twice Bish has beaten COVID-19. She had a hip replaced at age 109, Wright marveled.
Longevity runs in the family, too, Wright added. Bish's aunt, Jessie Rollins, lived to be 107.
"Everybody is just amazed by her," said Wright, who was traveling to Springfield from the Dominican Republic. "She is unbelievable."
Kacevicius said Bish gets up and does her makeup every morning.
"She won't leave her room until her makeup is on and her hair looks good," Kacevicius said. "She looks like she's maybe 70. She looks beautiful."
Bish attended Springfield High School and later worked at Sangamo Electric.
Her favorite foods? Coconut shrimp from Red Lobster, baby back ribs from Smokey Bones, and Wendy’s chili.
"They have the best chili," she added, "and the Frosties."
When Bish watches television, it's "Family Feud," "Judge Judy" and Steve Harvey's talk show.
"I don't watch it every day because sometimes I have trouble with my eyes," Bish admitted. "As you get older, things change."
Danny Williams, at The Villas East to visit his mother, stopped to wish Bish a happy birthday.
The longtime owner of Seven To Heaven Hairdressers did Bish's hair for over 20 years.
"I gave her a $100 gift certificate on her 100th birthday," Williams recalled. "I hadn't been able to do that for anyone else. She still looks great. Just a beautiful woman inside and out. She just always has been."
Asked about birthdays, Bish said, "Oh, they're nice. When I was a little kid, that was everything. You'd get all kinds of presents."
Kacevicius reminded Bish she would get two birthday parties.
"We're so glad to have her here," Kacevicius added. "To her, she lives her best life."
Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; sspearie@sj-r.com; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Wenonah Bish of Springfield turns 111, likely second-oldest Illinoisan
