Chuck Norris’ mother, Wilma Norris Knight, turned 102 years old on May 4, 2023. And her proud son says she’s still so full of life, she just might live another 100 years!
To honor Wilma, Chuck Norris wished her a happy birthday and took some time to reflect upon his mom’s beautiful outlook on getting older. And he also touched on the wonderful influence Wilma’s own mother (Granny Scarberry) had on both Wilma and Chuck alike.
Chuck Norris’ Mother Turns 102
Wilma Norris Knight was born on May 4, 1921, in the rural town of Wilson, Oklahoma — the same place Carlos (Chuck Norris’ birth name) grew up.
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Chuck Norris’ mother didn’t have it easy. Wilma was born into poverty and even became a ward of the state for a while at just 8 years old. She spent two years fighting a rare disease in a children’s hospital and then lived through the Great Depression. She raised Chuck and his brothers on her own. And she outlived her 11-member biological family, as well as two husbands, a stepson, two grandchildren, and her son, Wieland.
Yet, despite facing all these challenges and tragedies, Chuck Norris’ mother remained steadfast in her faith. And she points back to her own mother as an inspiration for weathering life’s storms well.
A Legacy Of Perseverance
Wilma’s mother didn’t have it easy either. As a young girl, she survived crossing the prairies with her family. And when she was older, Wilma says her mother lived her life with incredible gusto.
When it came time for Granny Scarberry to leave this world, it came with the joy of finally getting to be with her Lord and Savior. Chuck Norris’ mother says that for the last two years of her life, Granny Scarberry’s right arm atrophied and stiffened into her chest. It was mostly unusable.
However, as she was dying, Wilma recalls that “her arms were fully extended to heaven, as if the Lord Himself was pulling her up to her heavenly home.”
With both parents gone, rather than mourn, Wilma Norris Knight rejoiced that they were, at last, reunited together in the Lord’s House.
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“After a lifetime of hardship and deprivation, I was overjoyed to think about them being together enjoying a blissful life that the Bible describes as ‘home’ and ‘no more pain, grief, sorrow or tears,'” Wilma explained.
Chuck Norris’ Mother Stays Young At Heart
From her mother, Wilma Norris Knight learned the value of making your time on Earth count, however long or short it may be. She pointe to a quote by Abraham Lincoln that she felt embodied her mother’s spirit:
“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”
Granny Scarberry demonstrated how to endure hardships by relying on God alone. And it’s something Wilma Norris Knight carried with her into her own life. And at 102 years old, she’s got some advice for the rest of us!
In Wilma’s autobiography — Acts of Kindness: My Story — she talks about aging in a chapter titled “Growing Old Ain’t for Sissies.”
Both Chuck Norris’ mother and her husband, George, wholeheartedly agreed with a quote from comedian George Burns (who lived to be 100):
“You can’t help getting older, but you don’t have to get old.”
Wilma encouraged keeping the body young by eating well and staying fit. But she also touted the importance of keeping the mind fit.
“We stay…young in mind by not settling for status quo and always pressing onward and upward,” she wrote.
Chuck Norris’ mother believes (and we have to agree) that age is just a number. Staying young at heart is what’s important. And Wilma shared some insight in how to do that.
“Despite our numerical age, the young in heart are those who are always challenging themselves, starting over, facing fears, taking risks, and never giving up,” she said.
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What wonderful advice from an incredible lady!
“Gray hair is a crown of glory. It is attained by a life of righteousness.” Proverbs 16:31
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h/t: WND
Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Chuck Norris | Facebook/Elisa Meza