Retired Spelman nurse turns 100 years old, treated hundreds of students

RIVERDALE, Ga. - A Riverdale woman who is one of Fulton County's "firsts" just turned 100.

Catherine Ammons always joked she'd move to Georgia. She thought she'd live on a farm because she was "taking so long to settle down." 

Well, Ammons did marry, and she made good on her plan to move to The Peach State – not to a farm, but to busy Atlanta to work for one of its most recognizable schools. She's been here ever since.

At this point in Mrs. Ammons' life, she says she can't help but look back and laugh. She admits, she's lived an abundant one.

Catherine Ammons (Credit: Moriah Ammons)

"I don't remember all of this history," she said of herself while laughing.

Born in Virginia, Ammons went to Freeman's Hospital of Nursing, known today as Howard University.

"Back in the day, there weren't too many things [Black women] could do. We could be nurses or teachers," she said with her great-granddaughter on her hip.

Catherine Ammons (Credit: Moriah Ammons)

For half her life, she's been a nurse.

She and her husband, Richard, who she met while working at a New York hospital, moved to Atlanta. He studied at Morehouse, and she worked, treating hundreds of Spelman students.

"It was so long ago, but I enjoyed it," Ammons said. "They were examples of women and their behavior and being able to take care of themselves."

Because of Jim Crow's "Separate But Equal" laws, family says Georgia had to pay for Ammons to complete her B.A. of nursing in Jamaica, New York. She then became the first nurse with a degree to work in the Fulton County Public Health Department.  

Though she's worked hard throughout her years, Ammons will tell anyone who asks about the secret to a long and healthy life that rest and early rises are key.

Catherine Ammons (Credit: Moriah Ammons)

"I just took life as it came. I didn't do too many extraneous things," she said. "I did my 9 and 10 p.m. bedtimes."

Surrounded by her loved ones, it's clear Ammons legacy is letting happiness be her guide.

There's something about a Spelman connection that seems to lead to a long life. Just last month, FOX 5 reporter Alex Whittler told the story of Annie Moore, a spirited Spelman graduate who just turned 104.