Jackson Free Press

Manervia Cross Rayford has lived so long that sometimes her descendants have trouble keeping up with all the things she's done in her life.

As the Kosciusko, Miss., native celebrates her 106th birthday today, her grandson, Gordie Rayford, recalls the time a stranger told him that his grandmother was an accomplished fisherwoman.

"I've never known you to be a person who likes to fish," Gordie told his grandmother.

"Well, you didn't know me then," she replied, simply.

Born Jan. 13, 1905, Rayford spent her life helping her late husband, Henry, manage their 80-acre farm. She is life-long member of Little Hill Missionary Baptist Church, founded by her parents. Rayford attributes her long life to the satisfaction that comes from having a large family. Her family tree extends five generations; she is mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother to more than 100 descendants across the United States, from Kosciusko to Detroit.

"She is one of Mississippi's oldest treasures," Gordie Rayford says.

Since hitting her 100th birthday in 2004, Rayford has received birthday wishes from former Presidents George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter.

Rayford was an avid gardener and sold vegetables to residents in Attala County for several decades, continuing to work in her garden until the age of 100. Today, her family will celebrate her birthday at the Attala County Nursing Center, where she currently resides.