101-Year-Old Woman Reveals Secret to Long Life: Friendship and Dancing

A 101-year-old woman says that friendship and dancing are her secrets to living a long life.

The Rowans Care Center near Macclesfield, England, was the home of Murial Eva Linders' 101st birthday party over the weekend, complete with cake and plenty of balloons.

Linders was born Sept. 30, 1923 in Manchester, the care center shared on Facebook. She worked various secretarial jobs while also pursuing art in many forms.

She met her husband Henrick, a Polish soldier, who "danced her off her feet" at the Ritz, the care center said. They had one son together before divorcing. She later married a doctor that she worked with, David, who she had two daughters with.

Linders had a passion for fashion, design and creativity. She attributed her long life to staying active, as she continued to take the stairs to her fourth-story apartment even into her late 70s, as reported by CheshireLive.

"I've always believed in staying active — physically and mentally — and keeping good friends close. Dancing and taking the stairs have kept me fit all these years. You need to keep your mind active too. I enjoyed my work, even meeting my husband at one job, and being inspired to find a passion for art," Linders told CheshireLive.

She continued, "So much has happened in my lifetime, so much has changed. Some for the better, some for the worse. The nuclear bomb was horrific and very scary. But things like birth control, cars, telephones and the washing machine helped give women like me greater freedom to live our lives the way we wanted. I don't think young women realize just how much things have improved. I always made sure my girls had the opportunities to enjoy themselves growing up."

Since retiring, Linders has continued her passion for art by visiting as many art galleries and taking as many art classes as she can.