Friday, December 18, is a big day for Emma Sims 'Mimi' Boyd -- she'll be celebrating her 102nd birthday.

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Emma Sims was born in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, in 1913, and received her nursing degree at Peabody College, which is now part of Vanderbilt University.

She met her husband, Dr. Clarence Elmo Boyd, while practicing as a nurse anesthetist at Charity Hospital in New Orleans. The two married in 1930 and were together until Doc passed away in 1998. Her granddaughter, Kathryn Boyd Williams, told KEEL News Mrs. Boyd never remarried.

"They were as close as any two people could be, and he was home with her until the last couple of years of his life," Williams said. "She visited him twice a day every day until he passed away."

Williams said she believes her grandparents moved to Shreveport shortly after Clarence graduated from medical school. She said Emma was very involved with the community. She was a long-time member of St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Daughters of the American Revolution and the Women's Auxiliary of the Shreveport Medical Society.

"Our family celebrates her life not only because of its length, but because of its depth beyond measure," Williams said. "Her generosity and wisdom have been a driving force for us all for many years and will always remain."

Williams said her grandmother always said to live a long life, you don't say bad things about people. She also believed in physical activity, having been an avid golfer and participating in water aerobics. And she kept her mind strong by playing Bridge two or three times a week and doing crossword puzzles.

"She was just a very wise person. She always had some sort of experience that she could relate, whatever you were going through, and just bring out the best out of every situation," said Williams.

According to Williams, Emma Boyd has her good days and bad days, but she's still pretty sharp for nearly-102. The family will have a small celebration for her this weekend at SouthernCare Hospice.

Here are a few things the family has taken away from Mrs. Boyd’s 102 years:

1. Keep laughing: As the years progressed and her contemporaries began to pass away, she said she would check the obituaries to see if she needed to get substitute players for Bridge.

2. Speak with authority: Once on a family vacation in San Francisco, the waitress at a Japanese Restaurant delivered small bowls containing what appeared to be warm water and an unidentifiable object. All looked to Emma to see what they should do. She urged them all to wash in the finger bowls. Her four children and husband followed her lead. The waitress informed her that they were washing their hands in the first course of fish eye soup.

3. Actively pursue your dreams in spite of the challenges: Emma was a relatively young girl who left her home in Louisiana to chase her nursing dreams in Tennessee. This was not common practice as the first coast-to-coast highway, The Lincoln Highway was less than two decades old.

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