Coronavirus: NC man, 107, who survived COVID-19 treated to drive-thru parade

Gurney Lee Williams turned 107 years old on Thursday. That milestone is special is begin with, but what made it even more notable for the North Carolina native’s family is that Williams also survived the coronavirus.

Williams, a lifelong resident of Moore County, was born in Robbins on July 23, 1913, according to North Carolina birth and military records. He has been a resident at Autumn Care in Biscoe since 2017. The assisted living center in Montgomery County hosted a drive-thru parade in his honor, WFMY reported.

Williams’ granddaughter, Karen Britt, said Williams did not suffer any COVID-19 symptoms, but still tested positive and had to be quarantined, the television station reported.

Family members and residents in Biscoe participated in the parade. North Carolina state troopers, emergency medical service technicians, members of the Biscoe Fire Department and deputies from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office also drove past Williams to wish him a happy birthday, WFMY reported.

Williams married his high school sweetheart, the former Annie Allen, on Jan. 12, 1935, in Moore County. The couple raised eight children; Annie Williams died in 2002, the Chatham News and Record reported in 2013.

When Gurney Williams turned 100 in 2013, his family celebrated with a barbecue. He received birthday wishes from President Barack Obama and Gov. Pat McCrory, the newspaper reported.

The centenarian was known for his “sense of humor, amazing memory and math skills,” the News and Record reported.

Williams is still going strong at 107, and the drive-thru is one more memory he can file away.

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