HOLLYWOOD, FLA. (WSVN) - While most people have rung in the new decade, a South Florida resident has rung in a new century.
If you ask someone on their 100th birthday for the story of their life, you better have some time on your hands, but John Newburger’s story was worth a listen.
The Hollywood resident celebrated his 100th birthday on Wednesday. He was born on Jan. 1, 1920.
“I was born 100 years ago — that’s obvious isn’t it — in Munich, Germany,” Newburger said.
In 1938, as Hitler took over his country, Newburger fled the only home he’d ever known.
“When it got really bad, my father saw to it that I was the first one in the family to get out,” Newburger said, “so I got a visa, and I came to the United States with $10.”
“He didn’t even know, when Germany was becoming what it was at the time, that he’d live to be in his late 20s or early 30s,” said Craig Newburger, the 100-year-old’s son,
However, he did.
Newburger has spent his life traveling the world and building a family, and it’s an incredible life to celebrate.
He was surrounded by his family when he turned 100.
He credits his health, in part, to staying mobile. Until a few months ago, he drove his own car.
“The premiums for drivers when they reach their late 90s — like 99 or 100 — go so high,” Craig said. “Now, my father, who’s totally ambulatory and smarter than me, takes Ubers.”
When asked what the secret was to being a healthy 100-year-old, Newburger said, “You just have to be blessed. I don’t think you choose. Take what comes. Do the best you can with it. Live a simple life. This is the biggest party I ever had in my life.”
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