Rosa Evans, seated with her grandmother Victoria Brailsford, holds a picture of her mother and Brailsford’s daughter, Bertha Briggs. From left to right standing are LaTanya Canty, Doris Bennett’s daughter; Shanisty Keels, LaTanya Canty’s daughter; and Doris Bennett, Rosa Evans’s daughter. This Saturday there will be a big celebration going on in Summerton. There will be relatives and friends from all over the country coming to Summerton to celebrate Victoria Brailsford’s 100th birthday. “She actually turned 100 on April 15,” said Rosa Evans, Brailsford’s granddaughter. “We always celebrate her birthday on the last weekend of April. This year will be very special, since it’s her 100th birthday.” Evans said there will around 250 family and friends coming to her big celebration but there will be a few relatives that won’t be able to make the party. “This Saturday we will have people coming in from Baltimore, New York, Charlotte, Goose Creek and more cities,” Evan said. “The majority of the family will be here but there will be a few that can’t attend. We have some over in Iraq that was fighting in the war. Some are in college and can’t come, and my grandson is stationed at Beaufort in the Marines.” Brailsford said she feels good about turning 100, calling it “my greatest moment in life.” Brailsford said she is still enjoying life. She was the 21st of 22 siblings. The last of her siblings, her younger brother, died two years ago. “My daddy and mother were around for all of us,” Brailsford said. “I am the last (survivor) of 22 children and I’ve had a wonderful life. I had three children myself, but they have all gone to heaven. I am just so glad to be here 100 years and keep smiling everyday.” Brailsford said she has had so many happy days that it’s hard to say which one would be the happiest. “She never was sad, she was always happy,” Evans said. “The one thing she always taught me was to be smiling and happy. I used to cry a lot when I was growing up and she told me not to cry. If you cry, people will think they are able to hurt feelings, but if you smile, nobody will know they hurt your feelings and see how bad you are hurting. So now, whenever somebody sees me I’m smiling.” Brailsford is still able to live in her own home in Clarendon County near Summerton. She said she is very thankful for her granddaughter. She said Evans and her children and grandchildren are there for her. “I thank God for Rosa,” Brailsford said. “She has been there for me every day as far back as I can remember. Her children and grandchildren are a blessing, too.” Brailsford said she would be in church on Sunday if the Lord will let her and give her the strength. She said she was very active in New Bethel Holiness Church in her younger days. “When I was younger, I was very active with my church,” Brailsford said. “I was the mother of my church in 1947. Also in 1947, I was Superintendent of Sunday School and a Sunday School teacher. It eventually got to the point where I couldn’t do it anymore. My daughter took my place and everyone prayed for her and she did a great job.” Brailsford worked taking care of people before she retired in her 60s. “I was taking care of sick people but was never licensed,” Brailsford said. “People would call me all the time to come take care of someone. I would have to travel all over. I even was going to North Carolina. Sometimes I would have to leave my little children but when they would call, I had to go. I started when I was younger, in my teens, taking care of little children. I finally retired when I was in my 60s.” Brailsford said she has lived in the same place since 1947. “The old house burned down and I have been in this singlewide since 1986,” Brailsford said. “When Hurricane Hugo came through and destroyed it, Santee Electric came down and repaired it so I could live in it again and be comfortable.” “Santee Electric and Santee-Lynches came up with a $10,000 grant,” Evans said. “At her age, she really didn’t want to get a different home, so they had a man come down and repair it, and he did a good job.” Brailsford said she has seven grandchildren but can’t remember how many great-great- or great-great-great-grandchildren after that. “I have approximately 65 great-grandchildren,” Brailsford said. “I can’t remember how many great- great- or great-great-great-grandchildren but there are three great-great-great-great-grandchildren.” Evans said she hopes some of the local dignitaries will show up for the 100th birthday celebration. “We are hoping Mayor Kevin Johnson from Manning and Rep. Alex Harvin from Summerton will be here,” Evans said. “We have also invited Sen. John Land along with Clarendon County Sheriff Keith Josey. We have also received a card from President George W. Bush wishing her a happy 100th birthday. I will read that card this Saturday when everybody is here to hear it.” Evans said the party dinner will start around 4 p.m. and will be at her house right down from Brailsford home. “Grandma said she didn’t want to rent a hall or anything like that,” Evans said. “She said she wanted to have it here so she wouldn’t have to go too far from her home. We will put up tents in the yard, pull out all the tables and set them up with a lot of food.” When Brailsford turned 95, Harvin made a motion and the South Carolina House of Representatives passed that motion declaring April 25, 1995, as Victoria Brailsford Day across the state of South Carolina. Brailsford says she is planning on being around another 100 years. She said, “I’ll be here and smiling everyday as long as the good Lord gives me another day.”