TEXAS — Pew Research data shows the number of Americans living to age 100 and older is expected to quadruple over the next 30 years, including in Texas, which is home to thousands of centenarians.
Selesteen Wiggins, who was born in Louisiana and moved to Houston when she was 22 years old, will tell you life’s journey has taken her many places. On June 6, 2026, she went to The Woodlands, just north of Houston, for her 100th birthday celebration.
Five generations came to honor their matriarch, who served as a hairstylist, business owner and caregiver. She received several proclamations, including one from President Donald Trump.
“I love everybody and hope to have good health,” she said. “I have traveled the world,” she added, reflecting on her trips to visit family in Baltimore, Md., and Springfield, Mass.
Her grandson, Lou Wiggins, says she instilled many virtues in her descendants.
“This is a woman who went through the Great Depression,” he said. “She persevered through that, and she’s passed that on to us, so we can make it through thick and thin.”
U.S. Census Bureau data shows more Americans are living longer, including the more than 4,400 Texans who are now at least 100 years old.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average life expectancy at birth has reached an all-time high of 79 years old.
The Texas Demographic Center says 1 in 5 Texans are currently over 60 years old, and it predicts that will change to 1 in 4 in the next 20 years.
“They’re not dying of diseases they would have died for 10, 50 years ago,” said Dr. Rafael Samper-Ternent, an associate professor at the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health.
Samper-Ternent attributes the longer lifespans to better nutrition, medical care and prevention, calling it a triumph in public health.
However, he notes the aging population and lower birthrates should also raise economic alarm.
“That requires a shift in how we think about health insurance, how we think about pensions,” he said. “Less people being born means that there’s less people in the workforce contributing to Social Security,” he added, while also mentioning there are fewer caretakers.
But, there’s a silver lining worth more than gold.
“All the wisdom that they bring, that value is much greater than the economic burden that has been attributed to older adults for a long time,” said Samper-Ternent.
Selesteen’s daughter, Lessie Morrow, reflected on her mother’s wisdom.
“She has instilled a lot of things within me that I passed down to my children, and my children are passing down to their children,” Morrow said.
When we asked Selesteen for her secret to a long life, she summed it up by reciting “The Lord’s Prayer.”
“Our Father who art in Heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done,” she said.
According to family members, in addition to her faith, her lifestyle choices have played a role in her longevity.
“The healthier you can be through your life, the better, because that means that you’re going to rely less on the system and in other people,” said Samper-Ternent.
Hope Faith Wiggins shared her plans to keep her great-grandmother Selesteen’s legacy going.
“I want to contribute to the medical field and help people, especially children, continue to live long and healthy vibrant lives, so they can do amazing things just like my great-grandmother,” she said.