Callie Terrell, 99-years-old, is anxiously awaiting her 100th birthday celebration in November. But she is not idle. This woman loves making other women look and feel good. She still works to satisfy a few longtime customers as a beautician.
“I work because this is what I’ve enjoyed doing all my life from a little girl. I always loved messing with my sister’s hair. They had beautiful hair and I always enjoyed doing this.”
“Whenever I give out my birthday to people, you have to pay for it. November 26th, how old will I be? One-hundred, how about that?”
When a local news source looked back into records with the state of Tennessee, they found that Terrell was first given a license to operate on January 30th, 1945. This woman with a zeal for life continues to rent space in a salon, but she once had her own thriving business.
Terrell has outlived almost all of her customers. “People my age that I used to be buddy, buddy with, I don’t have a single one. I was in a bridge club. I’m the only one in the club that’s living.”
Work is part of her secret to living to almost 100.
“I’m not used to just being up in the house. You see, I worked so long I’ve just been around people and doing something exciting,” she said. “Most old people, they’re so dry and droll. I can’t deal with that. I gotta live and do the things that make me happy.”
Although continuing to work still brings her joy, Terrell plans to finally retire at the end of the year. But don’t expect to find her sitting around the house doing nothing.
“I just be waiting on somebody to call and say, ‘Callie, you busy? Well, come on over here.’ They say we’re doing so and so. So I jump in the car and go. I just want to do something.”
The 99-year-old is still driving too.
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