'Genuine woman of God': College Park woman celebrates her 104th birthday
COLLEGE PARK, Ga. - A College Park woman is celebrating a major milestone Monday - her 104th birthday.
Family and friends threw Miss Velma Mae Turner Rainey a fish fry party at her home in College Park to celebrate her special day.
Growing up in Fulton County, Rainey spent her childhood living with her father and older brother before she began working at farms a very young age to help her family survive.
While she wasn't able to get more than a third-grade education, Rainey instilled the value of school in her 13 children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
"She's an educator. She's a person who always wanted her children to learn," Rainey's daughter Gwendolyn R. Gillespie said.
Rainey's youngest daughter Lacrymosa Casey said that her mom was loving, caring, and had a strong sense of faith.
"She's always been the foundation of our family - the anchor," Casey said. "You couldn't meet a sweeter woman. Everyone who knows her, knows her to be such a sweet and genuine woman of God."
Michael Rainey, Rainey's youngest son, said growing up, his mother would work to instill good values in her children - teaching them to treat others like they wanted to be treated.
When asked what her secret to living to such an old age, Rainey laughed and said "I just try to ask God for his blessing and he's been blessing me."
From all of us here at FOX 5 Atlanta, happy birthday, Miss Rainey!