100-year-old New Jersey woman shares secret of long life during birthday celebration

From picking cotton on a Tennessee farm to raising a family in New Jersey, Lillian Crooks is celebrating a century of life and a journey defined by faith, hard work and resilience.

Born Feb. 11, 1926, in Ripley, Tennessee, Crooks grew up in a one-room schoolhouse heated by a potbelly stove. She was one of six siblings and spent her childhood working the land, eating what her family grew or raised.

At 18, Crooks left farm life behind and eventually made her way north — first to Peoria, Illinois, then Philadelphia and finally Glassboro in 1971. 

Her move to South Jersey was tied to her husband's job. Just two years later, he died unexpectedly, leaving her with a mortgage, a daughter in college and an uncertain future.

Instead of leaving, she stayed.

She entered the workforce immediately, taking on multiple jobs over the years, including housekeeper, Woolworths cashier supervisor, sales associate in Pitman, teacher's aide in Glassboro, research support specialist in Sewell and later a food server at Pitman Manor, where she retired at 75.

Family members say she never missed a day of work. She didn't drive but walked to her job, even in the snow.

Crooks raised four sons and one daughter. Today, she is a grandmother and great-grandmother. One son and her husband have since passed.

This week, family and friends stopped by each day to celebrate her milestone birthday.

For the occasion, Crooks wore a tiara — a simple but fitting touch for a woman whose strength quietly shaped generations.

When asked about her secret for 100 years, she didn't hesitate.

"Let Jesus lead you," she said.

She also lives by another reminder: "Live life one day at a time."

A century later, her life reflects both.