Lois Berry laughs often and for good reason — she knows the secret to a long life. She will turn 105 years old on June 19.

Berry — who moved to Angwin in January of 1974 with her late husband, Vernon Berry — is one of America’s nearly 80,000 centenarians, 7 percent of whom live in California, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Unlike some seniors who are decades younger, Berry is able to live in her own home with the help of her niece, Kathyleen Oliver. Although her hearing isn’t what it used to be and she uses a walker to get around, Berry maintains much of her independence, loves to meet new people and remains committed to staying healthy.

Berry parted with some of the secrets to her longevity on a recent afternoon in her living room as a large, black cat slept soundly at the foot of her chair.

“I’ve been a vegetarian since I was 8 years old, and I’ve never been a smoker or a drinker,” Berry began. She said that while she believes a healthy lifestyle has helped keep her around for more than a century, her family tree is riddled with long-living relatives — two of her sisters, an aunt, uncle and great-great-grandfather lived to be at least 100 years old.

“We have at least a half a dozen centenarians in our family. I suppose it’s mostly my genes,” she said. “I didn’t plan on living this long ... but I’ve outlived them all.”

Although she said she isn’t as active as she used to be, Berry — a retired surgical nurse who was also a school nurse in several Latin American countries — takes her health regimen seriously, regularly taking 30-minute walks outdoors or riding her stationary bicycle.

The self-proclaimed Scrabble-lover also plays piano, crochets baby blankets for relatives’ and friends’ newborns and keeps her mind sharp by playing word games. “I take a long word and see how many little words I can make out of it,” she said.

The faith factor

Oliver said although her aunt’s faith may not be directly responsible for her long life, it doubtlessly contributes to her happiness and well-being. Both women are life-long Seventh-day Adventists and Berry has attended Pacific Union College Church for about 25 years.

“I’m a religious person and I look forward to seeing Jesus, my savior,” said Berry. “I guess that gives me more hope than anything.”

Oliver said in addition to promoting a healthy lifestyle, being a member of the church also provides the women with a close-knit social network — something that many physicians believe is an important contributor to a long, happy life. “Our life is just entangled in our church and the activities,” said Oliver.

Although Berry remains in close contact with a faithful network of church friends and her extended family, she said that she never had children — opting instead to care for scores of pre-teen foster children throughout her married life. Berry, who recalls with great fondness the years she and her husband spent raising the children, said the work she enjoyed as a nurse is another thing she misses about being younger.

“I always worked like a horse and I enjoyed working,” she said. “I also loved working in my garden, but I haven’t done that since I turned 100.”

Like Berry, native Napan Felicia “Sally” Thorburn, 100, is a vibrant, upbeat woman who treats strangers with the warmth that most reserve for their closest friends. Married for 50 years to her late husband, John Thorburn, the centenarian was born Feb. 24, 1908. She is a retired beautician who owned Sally’s beauty shop in Napa’s now defunct Plaza Hotel during the 1960s.

Like Berry, Thorburn never drank or smoked. She does not often eat red meat, yet she said she doesn’t take vitamins or eat health foods.

“I’m not crazy about vegetables,” Thorburn confessed.

Her longtime friend and caregiver, Joanne Buescher, said Thorburn often tells doctors that the secrets to her longevity are “garlic, olive oil and one man.”

A self-described “people person,” Thorburn said she does not have any other centenarians in her family. She is, however, in close contact with an extensive network of friends in the Napa area.

Those who aspire to live to 100 should make an effort to keep involved in community events and never stop learning, Thorburn said.

“You always have to have an interest of some kind,” she said. “Right now, I’m taking a painting class.”

Thorburn also enjoys drawing, short walks and reading romance novels — especially those authored by Danielle Steel.

In addition to enjoying various hobbies, she said a positive outlook can provide invaluable armor against life’s inevitable ups and downs.

“Don’t lose your sense of humor. That’s the main thing,” she said.