North Andover's Spunky Senior Bertha Clarke Turns 102

NORTH ANDOVER — "Spunky" may be the best word to describe Bertha Clarke, who celebrated her 102 birthday on May 11, the Eagle-Tribune reports.

The former Salem, N.H. woman, who now lives at Prescott House, a geriatric care facility in North Andover, was kicking up her heels doing line dancing well into her 90s and drove a car until she was 97.

Regarding her age, she told the Eagle- Tribune, "It's only a number. It's attitude."

A positive attitude and a passion for bingo, she told the newspaper, has kept her going all these years.

So what is her secret to longevity?

Maybe it's an apple a day. Her family kept barrels of apples in the cellar.

She never smoked and drank in moderation. She told the Eagle-Tribune that her favorite alcoholic drink was a Bloody Mary. Her favorite non-alcoholic beverage is Moxie and coffee ice cream is her favorite guilty pleasure.

For more on this story read the Eagle- Tribune.

Courtesy photo from Salem Community Television.