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Henry celebrated her 107th birthday at The Bristal, an assisted living center, Thursday with friends, bouquets of purple and pink flowers, some bubbly, and a big cake with plenty of frosting.
Born in Brooklyn on May 5, 1909, Henry later lived in Queens with her parents and four siblings.
She spent the first part of her teenage years playing hymns on the piano and attending Jamaica High School.
But when her mother passed away, Henry, who was only 16, had to live independently in an apartment with a sister.
She managed to graduate from high school and go on to business school, where she learned to be a secretary.
Henry got married at 21 and had a son and daughter.
In the late 1950s, the then-49-year-old became a broker for a small Wall Street company.
She continued to work on Wall Street until she was 99.
Henry said the secret to a long life is hard work.
“Like the hymn goes: 'Work, for the night is coming, when man works no more,'” she said.
Henry’s daughter praised her mom as “remarkable” and “strong” woman who “believes that a lot is possible through faith, prayer and hard work.”
“She has been blessed with good genes, good luck and the love of her family,” the daughter said.
George Solano, The Bristal’s executive director, said the folks at the facility were thrilled to help Henry “celebrate such a fantastic milestone.”
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