104-year-old on 'the key' to a long, happy life: 'Be active as much as you can' in your community—research backs her up

Erline Dennis, 104, was a teacher for nearly 40 years. Though it's been decades since she retired, Dennis still has an impact on her former students. Many of the kids she taught back then are now senior adults, according to Fox 8.

"Every once in a while, I see someone who I haven't seen in years. I may have forgotten, but they haven't. They remember very well," Dennis told the channel.

Born on July 2, 1920 in Winston-Salem, N.C., Dennis remains in her home state. She resides in High Point where she taught for many years, according to The High Point Enterprise.

Keeping family, friends and even those former students in her life is of extreme importance to Dennis, and it's a skill she's grateful that her friends remind her to strengthen.

"Continuing to be active as much as you can and the [people] that you're around, that's the key I think," she told Fox 8.

The effort Dennis puts into those connections very likely contributes to her long and fulfilling life. Maintaining positive relationships, or what longevity researchers call social fitness, is the No. 1 thing that keeps us feeling happier and living longer, according to a decades-long Harvard study.

Dennis has a massive and engaged community. On her 100th birthday in 2020, her friends and family as well as many people from the community of High Point organized a drive-by birthday parade for her.

Before the parade, a reception was held for Dennis — the mayor, sheriff, county commissioner and a state representative all attended, WFMY News 2 reported at the time.

As of 2023, Dennis was still active in her church, of which she was a founding member, and in the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. She is a golden member of her sorority, which means she has been a member for more than 50 years.

Dennis' friends describe her as a determined woman. Her friend Evelyn Williams told Fox 8: "She was always ready to do what she needed to do."

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