What’s the secret to a long life? This 108-year-old Charlotte woman shares 3 of hers
Making it to age 90 or even 100 years old is still a big deal, but it’s become more commonplace, too.
While experts say many Americans are living longer because of advances in modern medicine, some are exceeding the 100-year-old mark by two, four, even eight years — placing them in a super centenarian category.
Julia Ann McKnight Teamer, who turned 108 years old on Jan. 16, can count herself among that elite group. Her niece Robbin Cole encouraged her to celebrate the occasion and planned a party at the Shads Landing, a senior community in north Charlotte, where Teamer lives.
It included all the trappings — balloons, party hats, friends, family and lots of cake — befitting a birthday fete.
Is there a secret to a long life? Teamer wouldn’t call it secret at all, but she did share three rules for living that evidently helped her chances.
“I do everything in love,” Teamer told The Charlotte Observer Thursday. “Trust in God. Say thank you to everyone who has done something for you.”
Notable milestones
A few tidbits about Teamer:
▪ She was born in 1917 in Charlotte — before the flu pandemic of 1918 — so she’s lived through two pandemics.
▪ She began raising her younger brother, Andrew, when she was 11 years old, after their mother died.
▪ Teamer is a member of the 1936 graduating class of Second Ward High School, Charlotte’s first, now shuttered, all Black secondary school.
▪ She attended Barber-Scotia College and graduated from Johnson C. Smith University with a bachelor’s degree. Continued with post-graduate studies at both Columbia University and University of Pennsylvania, according to a Mecklenburg County proclamation.
▪ She became a school teacher and taught in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in first through eighth grades at Double Oaks Elementary, among others and worked in the district for some 38 years.
▪ Active in her church, Cosmopolitan Community Church, on Newland Road, alongside her husband of 52 years, Bishop James Robert Teamer, who died in 1997.
The couple co-founded the Teamer Religious & Education Enterprises, an independent school & church, in 1945. Teamer was the school’s superintendent and taught in its Bible school.
▪ Received a proclamation from the Mecklenburg County Commissioner in 2024, when she turned 107, where County Commissioners proclaimed Jan. 17 as Julia Ann McKnight Teamer Day.
108-year-old celebrity
Sitting comfortably and surrounded by admirers, Teamer wore a jacket with a red-and-black tartan pattern that had a black faux-fur trim and a matching hat. As a video camera zoomed in, while others circled around her, she waved her hand and flashed a gleaming smile.
Teamer was keenly aware of the attention she was getting on her special day — embracing the moment and looking every bit like a celebrity.
“I am just proud of my friends and my family and the family I have left,” she said, eyeing the white frosted rectangular confection in front of her. “The cake is beautiful.”
Tributes poured in, many in awe of the incredible feat of long life.
“So many thousands of children’s live she has touched,” said Commissioner Arthur Griffin, who praised Teamer for her service at CMS.
Niece Jackie Sturdivant shared the timeless advice her aunt doled out: “ ‘Don’t get old.’ I love her and she is a jewel. She is the most wonderful person.”
“I really appreciate her age,” said Robert Kelly, a resident at the senior facility. “I’m only 92. When I walked in here, I didn’t know I was sitting next to a celebrity. Bless you. Bless you.”
“I’m so glad to see you,” said Willie Cochran, Teamer’s eldest niece, who is 95. “I am so proud of you that you’ve come this far — and we are right behind you. I am so proud to be here today.”
Cole shared some memories when they were young. Aunt Julia would come to visit when school was out and sometimes hid gifts around the house for the children to find, she said.
“Those were the happiest summers of my life,” Cole said.
And some final thoughts from Teamer:
▪ Trust in the Lord
▪ Do right by everyone
▪ Love everyone.
This story was originally published January 17, 2025 at 5:55 AM.
