Centenarians often have various reasons why they’ve enjoyed a long, healthy life. For some, it’s due to smoking cigars, drinking whiskey or eating raw eggs. But for 109-year-old Jessie Gallan, it was avoiding something–men.
“They’re just more trouble than they’re worth,” Scotland’s oldest woman said. So Gallan always supported herself, never marrying or relying on anyone else. She learned the importance of hard work growing up on a farm in rural Scotland, and she showed her independent spirit early, leaving home at age 13 to milk cows. Gallan told the Daily Mail, “I worked hard and seldom would I ever take a holiday.”
Even after the age of 100, Gallan kept active, visiting with friends in the nursing home and attending exercise classes. “She’s absolutely amazing,” said one caregiver, who was probably 85 years younger than Jessie. The caregiver noted that she was still mobile at her age and said, “She’s got all her wits about her. She’s got a fantastic memory.” The staff loved sitting and chatting with Jessie and hearing her many fascinating stories. Gallan said that for long life, as well as avoiding men, it’s also good to have a nice warm bowl of porridge every morning.
Sadly, Jessie Gallan passed away in March, 2015, in Aberdeen, Scotland. “I’ve had some ups and downs in life,” she once remarked. For everyone who knew her, Gallan was certainly an upper.