Habeeb said she was born in Essen, Germany, in 1920 and moved to the United States at the age of 3. She said you can find her name at Ellis Island, where she first arrived in the United States. Habeeb said her father served in World War I and wanted a better life.
Habeeb told KOKI she lived in New Jersey for a large part of her life, but eventually moved to Oklahoma to be closer to her son. She said one of the hardest parts of life were losing her husband, who died in his 50s.
Since 1991, she has lived at the Treetop Apartments and has become close to several of the members there.
Habeeb said she believes swimming has kept her in good shape for so long. However, she added she has had some setbacks: She survived a major heart attack, a stroke and pneumonia. The soon-to-be 100-year-old says she is fortunate to still have her wits about her, most of her independence and good friends.
Residents at the Treetop Apartments invited Habeeb’s friends and family to be part of a special celebration Friday.
Here is Habeeb’s address: Treetop Apartments, 5001 S. Hickory Ave., Broken Arrow, OK 74011.
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