DATE: Thursday, September 11, 1997          TAG: 9709100223

SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS         PAGE: 03   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY NANCY LEWIS, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   68 lines

``PRAYIN', RIGHTEOUS MAN'' REACHES 101ST BIRTHDAY

At 101, Henry Lowery still chews tobacco, does his own cooking and seldom sees his doctor, and then only for advice on the arthritis that's begun troubling him in recent years.

The Tidewater Garden resident lives alone, though his daughter, 57-year-old Elvie Lowery, resides nearby. She helps him with business, heavy laundry and cleaning.

The centenarian-plus, father of six, grandfather to 18 and great-grandfather to many, says there's only one secret to his longevity. He believes he's lived to top a century because he lives ``for the Lord.'' He's in his pew at Queen Street Baptist Church every Sunday without fail and consults his Bible several times a day.

Friends and family gathered last week to celebrate Lowery's birthday at the Young Terrace Neighborhood Center. After he sliced into his sheet cake, Lowery hesitated, then patted his tummy conscientiously and explained he wasn't sure he'd have a piece since he's trying to watch his weight. But he decided not to count calories on his birthday and gave in to the temptation, licking the blue and green icing off his fingers.

George Sparrow, who's been driving Lowery to church each Sunday for 15 years, was on hand to help his friend celebrate Tuesday.

``He's just a prayin', righteous man,'' said Sparrow, who stops by frequently to visit Lowery.

Lowery's niece, the Rev. Bertha Bennett of Berkley's Antioch Baptist Church, says her uncle ``was a good husband, raised his children up right, loved God and loved people.''

Daughter Elvie Lowery, one of two of Henry's children who are still living and the ``baby'' of the family, was more specific about her father's strong points.

``He plays a mean game of checkers,'' she said. ``Dominoes, too.''

Henry Lowery was born into a Waynesboro, N.C., farming family on Sept. 2, 1896. One of 12 children, he lived in Durham before moving to Norfolk in 1939, bringing his wife, the former Maude Bennett, and his three young children with him to work in the concrete business.

The family bought a home in Campostella for $30 down, remembers his daughter Elvie.

Lowery, who moved into the downtown public housing neighborhood in 1978, helped lay concrete for the development decades ago. He also worked on the Queen Street Baptist Church during the 1950s when major repairs were undertaken.

He's always loved work, says Elvie. In fact, she said, when it came time to retire and he qualified for Social Security benefits, her father ``wanted to keep right on working.''

Lowery has outlived four of his children. A son in his 70s lives in New Jersey.

So good has his health remained that it was only recently that Lowery applied for Medicaid. The fact that he wasn't on the roles came to the attention of Gloria Robinson, specialist for the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority's elderly program during door-to-door assessments. She signed him up.

As for his only vice, the chewing tobacco, Lowery vows he's soon going to quit.

But daughter Elvie was skeptical. ``He says that, that he's going to try to quit,'' she says with a laugh. Then, she says, he gives in to the craving and tells her to go buy him some tobacco.

``If you don't go, he'll call somebody else.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by LAWRENCE JACKSON

Henry Lowery celebrated his birthday with friends and family at a

neighborhood center.

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