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Man's 106 years full of pride and love
By WAVENEY ANN MOORE
© St. Petersburg Times, ST. PETERSBURG -- Silas Simmons will be 106 years old Sunday. As he reflects on his life, Simmons speaks with pride of his mother's love, his baseball days, successful descendants and two enduring marriages. He was wed to Mary Smith, his childhood sweetheart, for 29 years. They had five children -- three sons and two daughters. After she died, he married Rebecca Jones and they eventually retired to Florida, from Plainfield, N.J., in 1971. Their marriage lasted 46 years. Simmons consulted his children before marrying a second time. "They all liked her and we all got along. We were just like one family until she passed. We stuck together, used to go on trips together and things like that, and we had a nice home," he said Monday afternoon at Suncoast Manor, 6909 Dr. M.L. King (Ninth) St. S, where he has lived for more than two years. Simmons said he is not surprised that many marriages today don't last. "Young people got to know when they get married, you've got to work together. You live together, you work together," he said. "You see, young people today, they don't sit down at the table together and eat together. You see, we all did that. You have a marriage, the husband comes in, the wife says, 'How did you do today?' They sit down and talk, but (young people today) don't do that. He comes in, gets dressed and goes out. She goes out. The marriage is not going to last like that. You have to pull together, set an example for the children." Simmons, who speaks fondly of his mother, said she insisted on good manners and told him not to be sidetracked by wayward friends. A pastry cook, she taught him to cook when he was 8 years old. "When she came home, I had dinner ready," he said. "I had good bringing up and I listened to my mother. . . . In my life, I had two opportunities to get in trouble." The first was when he was 17 and worked in a pet shop, Simmons said. He had gone to the store to look after the animals when he noticed that the cashier had left the previous day's receipts in front of the safe. "I didn't touch it," Simmons said. The second time was when he was an adult and responsible for dropping money from the department store where he worked in the bank night deposit. It was Christmas Eve and the drop box was full. Simmons said he simply took the money back to the store. "That was twice I had opportunities, but I passed them up. Twice I could have been dishonest. That's why I'm here today," he said, laughing. Having lived in three centuries, Simmons, who was born on Oct. 14, 1895, said he is most amazed by airplanes and automobiles. Television is good too, he concedes, but adds that shows today are not very good. "I don't care much for the stories today on TV. They're not like the old stories. There's too much kissing," he said, waving his hand with distaste. The former baseball player is content to watch sports on television and play a game or two of volleyball -- with balloons -- from the comfort of his wheelchair. Friday he will celebrate his birthday with his friends at Suncoast Manor. "The Lord has blessed me," he said.
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