Susan Young Browne of Delaware has lived through the Civil Rights Movement, the invention of the internet, and more. At 108, she’s showing no signs of slowing down. As a fiercely independent woman who lives alone, Browne knows a thing or two about life, and she’s sharing her five rules for living a long, fulfilling one.
Speaking with TODAY.com, Susan Young Browne‘s daughter, Lynnette Young Overby, described her mother as “quite something.” Her son, Jim Young, calls her “amazing” and strong. The unstoppable centenarian still drives her blue Subaru everywhere she needs to go.
“In order for me to go to the store, I have to drive. Anywhere I want to go, I have to drive. I’m an experienced driver. I try to be very careful,” Browne told TODAY.com. She even renewed her driver’s license through 2033—when she turns 115. But driving isn’t the only way she maintains her independence.
Living on her own terms in Dover, Delaware, about 70 miles south of Philadelphia, her daily routine is packed with workouts, reading romance novels and socializing. The Lincoln, Delaware native was born on April 24, 1918, and is the 10th of 12 children. She lived in a house with no running water or electricity, attending a segregated elementary school where a teacher she admired inspired her to become one herself.
Now Delaware State University’s oldest living alumna is sharing the five daily rules that have helped her surpass the century mark.
Feed Your Brain Every Day
Browne keeps her mind sharp with puzzles, word games, and her favorite romance novels. “She’s very organized,” her son told TODAY. “She always makes sure that wherever she goes, she has a little calendar.”
That calendar is filled with activities—attending Whatecoat United Methodist Church of Dover, where she serves as an usher and trustee, socializing three times a week at Modern Maturity Center, and staying active in the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa Alpha Pi Chapter.
Protect Your Independence
Browne has been married twice—first to a husband who ran a bus business. After her second husband passed away, she admitted she has no desire to remarry. “I am not taking care of another man,” she said plainly.
She explained her philosophy: “I decided when I was left alone that I didn’t need anybody to take care of me. I take care of myself. So, in order to live a healthy life, you have to make up your own mind.”
Driving her own car and maintaining the home she has lived in for 70 years are important parts of staying self-sufficient.
Never Let Your World Get Small
The grass never grows under Browne’s feet. After spending 30 years as a teacher—a career she started in a one-room schoolhouse—she set out to explore the world.
Over the decades, her adventures took her to Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Alaska, and Hawaii, which both became U.S. states while she was teaching. Hawaii ultimately stole her heart. “It’s beautiful there,” she said simply.
Nourish to Flourish
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is advice Browne takes seriously, enjoying an apple every morning. Her power breakfast also includes peaches, blueberries, a frozen waffle, cranberry juice, and black coffee—no cream or sugar. She keeps her daily diet clean by skipping fried foods and sweets, with one legendary exception: her famous 7UP cake, an ultra-moist pound cake made with lemon-lime soda and box cake mix that’s become her signature treat at family gatherings.
Keep Your Body in Motion
Browne knows health is wealth. She begins every morning with a 10-minute stretching, strengthening, and balancing routine. Her son says, “She does things I can’t do.” Her chair dancing at the Modern Maturity Center and consistent exercise allow her to walk without a cane or walker.
“I don’t know why I’m living so long,” Browne told TODAY.com. “I’m just trying to take care of myself.”
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