By DAVID KANO
EL NUEVO SOL
Her birthday is on May 21. The year? 1919.
No, that’s not a typo, Christine Garner, aka “Granny,” was born a year before the Roaring Twenties, a decade before the Great Depression, and was in her twenties when World War II started.
Woodrow Wilson was President of the United States when she born, and there have been 17 U.S. presidents in her 96 years on Earth.
She’s seen the Civil Rights Movement, Woodstock, Watts Riots, Los Angeles Riots, and in eight months, may see an 18th U.S. president.
There’s a lot of wisdom and knowledge that come from Garner — most people don’t come close to being alive that long, and it certainly wasn’t by accident.
The matriarch of five generations, Garner’s mind and memory is still sharp as a knife.
I sat down with her for an Oral History, and even though I’ve had hours of talks with “Granny,” there was a lot I didn’t know.
Her grandfather was a plantation owner in Ringgold, Louisiana, and as an only child, she lived on the plantation with her mother.
The population in Ringgold was just over 300 people when she was born, and living on the plantation, she was responsible for helping with the livestock and working in the fields.
A few years after she married, she relocated to Los Angeles, California, and has been living in the South Central area of L.A. for almost 60 years.
I asked Granny in all her years on Earth, what piece of advice would she give others.
“Say your prayers,” Garner said, “ And make sure you trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. I became a Christian when I was 15 and been on the battlefield ever since.”
You can watch Christine Garner’s Oral History video here: https://youtu.be/-CvTkNCfLyE
Christine Garner, aka “Granny,” 96. Photo: David Kano
Tags: Christine Garner David Kano Granny oral history
