NATURAL DAM (KFSM) -- Not many people get to celebrate their 100th birthday, but one Crawford County man is doing just that this week and he's still doing some of the things he did in his younger days.
On Peaceful Home Road, the Ellisons built their home in the 1960s along with a life together for the last 76 years.
"I feel most genuinely as I did ten years ago," Thell Ellison said. "If I'm out here mowing the yard or down there doing something or out there building a fence, whatever I'm doing, I just try to enjoy it."
At nearly 100, Mr. Ellison doesn't take any medications and still gets his hands dirty, with the help of his buggy, of course.
"I made this porch swing," Mr. Ellison said. "I took two by fours and I cut this lumber and all this lumber, I put it together."
Mr. Ellison said the key to living along life is staying active and he works in his garden every single day.
"I like to keep moving," Mr. Ellison said. "I think that helps me stay as active as I am."
Those vegetables from the garden are then peeled and handed off to Mrs. Ellison, who is 92 years old.
She describes the closer full of vegetables she has put into cans.
"At the top is green beans and on the next shelf over here is tomatoes, just canned tomatoes," Margie Ellison said. "Down here, tomato juice."
Mr. Ellison may have quite a few activities on his plate, but he said with his faith, he has no plans of slowing down.
"I'm just glad that [God] has allowed me to live this long," Mr. Ellison said. "I'm hoping I'll be around here awhile longer."
Mr. Ellison's actual birthday is Thursday (Sept. 14) and his family and friends will be throwing him a big birthday party on Saturday (Sept. 16).
The Ellisons have five children, 14 grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren and 21 great-great-grandchildren.