VIDALIA — In 1901, Susie Jackson was born into this world, a baby not unlike many others.

On Saturday, nearly 108 years after she was born, Jackson gathered with five generations of her descendents at the Sandbar restaurant to celebrate another year of her life, a lifespan matched by very few.

Jackson’s official birthday is Sept. 4, but the party started Saturday when members of the life-long Ferriday resident’s family came from across the country, including but not limited to locals such as Los Angeles, Seattle, Illinois and Texas.

Jackson admits that these days she doesn’t do much, but she said she still loves to attend church at New Morning Star Baptist Church.

Her lifelong goal, she said, has been to live a solid Christian life.

“I have always tried to do good to everybody,” she said.

And making 108 feels pretty good, Jackson said.

“I am glad to have done it,” she said. “I have seen them raise up the children, the grandchildren, the great-grandchildren and the great-great grandchildren.”

Though she’s advanced in age by anybody’s standards, Jackson is still able to wash up herself, make her own bed and take her own medicine, Jackson’s daughter Joy Newbill said.

“I’ve never had to hire a home health agency,” Newbill said.

When she was younger, Jackson worked in the fields, doing everything from picking cotton to pulling stumps, Newbill said.

“She did a lot of hard work in her time,” Newbill said.

At her party Saturday, Jackson was presented with a proclamation from the Ferriday mayor and board of aldermen, and later in the afternoon an aide from Congressman Rodney Alexander’s office presented her with a copy of a proclamation that was read into the minutes of the Congressional record.

The Ferriday proclamation noted that Jackson was baptized in 1909, and her great-niece Carol Brown said that was only fitting.

“She is very spiritual,” Brown said. “You couldn’t talk about her life and not include it.”

Jackson and her late husband, Joe Jackson Jr., had five children, 10 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, 12 great-great grandchildren and — as of now — two great-great-great grandchildren.

Seeing her great-great-great grandchildren is an amazing thing, Jackson said.

“It makes me happy to see that baby,” she said.

As her mother sets out on another year of life, Newbill said every day with her is a blessing.

“It makes me feel very good the Lord has blessed us for all these years,” she said.