Gladys Betsey Sockey celebrated her 100th birthday in September, marking a century shaped by faith, family and a lively spirit that still defines her.
She was born Sept. 23, 1925, in Bentley, Oklahoma, to Jessey and Lilly Betsey.
Like many families of that time, the Betseys did not have much, but they made the most of what they had. Gladys recalls growing up with few toys and using glass bottles as baby dolls.
She attended Carter Seminary School in Ardmore through junior high and completed high school at Chilocco Indian School in Newkirk, Oklahoma.
Gladys says her favorite part of school was a simple comfort: “They had toilets.”
Gladys spent her school days playing checkers and basketball.
At Chilocco, a teacher once took several of her drawings and sold them in the city.
Her favorite memory, however, comes from her time at Carter. She recalls sneaking out at night with a friend, Else, by climbing a tree near their dorm window, then making their way to the school garden, known as The Patch, to eat sweet potatoes.
As a young woman, Gladys met the man who would become her husband, Roy Sockey, at the Trianon Ballroom, where Bob Wills, the King of Western Swing, performed.
Gladys loved to dance, especially the jitterbug, and her favorite song remains Glenn Miller’s “In the Mood.”
Gladys and Roy married Dec. 25, 1946. They shared 39 years of marriage before his death in 1985. She often says her favorite thing about him was his gentle nature.
Her long life is marked by a long list of favorites. She loves the movie “Heidi” and its star, Shirley Temple. Birds are her favorite animals. She favors the color blue, especially turquoise and baby blue, and the orange-speckled tiger lily is her favorite flower. According to her family, she still smiles when she remembers Roy’s green GTX, her favorite car.
Strawberry shortcake remains her favorite dessert, and she never turns down a steak sandwich supreme. Gladys also holds close her favorite hymn, “Amazing Grace.”
Gladys loved to travel. If she could go anywhere, she would choose the Himalayas. Her favorite vacation was visiting Sonny Betsey in Oregon, where one of her funniest memories occurred: watching her daughter flip an air mattress.
Gladys credits her longevity to one thing. Prayers, she says, have carried her through every season of her 100 years.