Susan Young Browne turned 108 years old on April 24, 2026. The great-grandmother from Delaware is living a full, active life at an age few will ever see.
According to 2020 data from the United States Census Bureau, only two out of 10,000 people in the United States make it to 100 years old. Browne is one centenarian who beat the odds.
And remarkably, Browne is still driving herself to her morning workouts at the Modern Maturity Center in Dover, Delaware.
“When I get up in the morning, I have an exercise routine that I’ve been doing for the last 20 years,” she told CBS News Philadelphia.
She also recently renewed her driver’s license through her 115th birthday.
“They renewed my driver’s license until 2033,” she told the outlet.
Who is Susan Young Browne?
Browne was born on April 24, 1918, in Lincoln, Delaware. Her parents, George and Susie Brown, had 12 children. Susan was the couple’s 10th child.
Her father was a tenant, and she spent most of her life on a 40-acre farm, according to Delaware State University (DSU). Browne grew up in a segregated education system.
“I went to school in a one-room school in Houston, Del., and we lived five miles from the (colored) school,” Susan told DSU.
After graduating high school and starting a family with her husband, James Young, she pursued her teaching degree. She attended Delaware State College for Colored Students, which is known today as Delaware State University.
“Most of the young ladies were from the country, where we didn’t have any electricity or running water; we didn’t have bathrooms,” she shared about her experience. “We were glad to be (on campus) and to be continuing our education at the Delaware State College for Colored Students High School.”
After seven years, she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education. She started working as a teacher in 1945, and helmed a one-room schoolhouse for 30 years.
“When I retired and I walked around that classroom for 30 years, I am not going to sit down,” Browne shared.
She taught in both white and segregated schools during her career.
“I had to adjust the same as the children had to adjust,” she told DSU. “Students accepted you as their teacher. I didn’t have any problem with them.”
Browne keeps moving
To celebrate her milestone birthday, a huge part was thrown on May 2, 2026. Over 130 people attended the bash, including Delaware Governor Matt Meyer.
“I came to learn from you what I need to do to live so long,” he said to Browne.
A widow, Browne lost her first husband, James Young, in 1988. Her second husband, Clifton Browne, passed in 2011 according to DSU. Today, Browne is looking to stay single. “I guess I’m not great material for men,” she quipped to CBS Philadelphia. “That was enough. I’m not taking care of another man.”
For Browne, there is still lots of life left to live and experience.
“I grow old gracefully,” she said.
