Oldest woman in Oklahoma celebrates 111th birthday

The oldest woman in Oklahoma is celebrating her 111th birthday.

Ethel Bowens has lived in the U.S. sooner state all her life and now lives in the city of Guthrie surrounded by her ever-growing family and friends. 

She has a few more years to go before she becomes the oldest woman in the U.S. Hester Ford, from North Carolina, currently holds that title after celebrating her 116th birthday on August 15.

Ethel lived with her husband and six children, including twins, on a farm and she credits the time raising her family as “the greatest.”

Purely Oklahoma: Oklahoma's oldest woman celebrates 110th birthday

“I made nearly all of my children’s clothes. We had a living on the farm. Didn’t have to go to the store for everything,” she told KOCO news.

She was married to her husband, a farmer, for 65 years.

“Oh, he was a nice man. He never wanted me to work. I stayed in the house and took care of it,” she said.

Ethel said that her relationship was the secret to her long life.

Image courtesy Rhonda Bowens/Fox 25 News

“Having one man,” Ethel explained in a 2019 interview. “Well, you don’t have to be bothered with two or three. You got used to that one, and that one was enough.”

Last year Ethel received thousands of cards from around the world to mark her big day after a request from her family went viral.

Ethel will have no shortage of birthday wishes and cards this year as she has 29 grandchildren, 54 great grandchildren, and 45 great-great grandchildren.

Image courtesy Rhonda Bowens/Fox 25 News

Happy Birthday Ethel!

Please share to wish this wonderful lady all the blessings on her big day.