October 2, 2026
VALDOSTA, Ga. – People who know Jeanette Coody describe her as a charming and self-assured lady with an unflinching commitment when it comes to matters of faith.
The Georgia woman who turns 100 on September 19 hasn’t missed Sunday school since she first started attending a class she organized at age 17.
“I said, ‘God, if you will allow me to start this program, I will be faithful to it,’” she said. “And I have been.”
Her 83 years of perfect attendance is only five years short of the world record 88 years set by the late F. Otto Brechel of Mars, Pennsylvania. Throughout most of those years, Mrs. Coody was the Sunday school teacher. She also sings in the choir and has gone on 26 short-term mission trips across the nation and around the world, the last one at age 96.
One of the accomplishments she is most proud of was starting The Haven domestic violence shelter, which has given her a lifetime achievement award. She also is a longtime volunteer with the Boys & Girls Club, which inducted her into its hall of fame last month.
And for 25 years, Mrs. Coody served as a professional clown, spreading smiles and laughter among children.
“I have tried to live my life in such a way that when my feet hit the floor in the mornings the devil says, ‘Quick, call 911, Jeanette Coody is up,’” she quipped, her rich southern accent adding to the warmth of her comfortable Valdosta home.
Mrs. Coody fondly remembers growing up in rural Florida in simpler times. No TV. No indoor plumbing. No refrigerator. She entertained herself with games, walked to the outhouse when nature called, and kept food cool in an icebox.
Since then, she has seen the world transformed. The old party-line telephone she grew up with has been replaced by smartphones. The winding one-lane roads she traveled as a child have been replaced with an interstate highway system. Ships gave way to airliners for international travel. And computers have taken the world into a new age of information.
A retired human resources director for Levi Strauss & Co., Mrs. Coody has embraced the changes, including the laptop that she now uses in her office and the tablet beside her favorite chair.
“Life is not a spectator sport,” she said. “It’s a game of participation. You can’t live it from the sidelines.”
And live it she has.
Mac Weaver, missions pastor at First Baptist Church, said Mrs. Coody has been on mission trips to South America, Asia, and on numerous church construction trips across the U.S.
In her late 80s, she was in China sharing the gospel, he said.
“She is very, very committed to her faith,” Weaver said. “She has always been a part of our evangelism outreach here. She shares her faith with boldness. She’s a very confident person – confident in who she is and confident in her faith.”
Longtime friend Annie Roberts said keeping up with Mrs. Coody isn’t easy.
“I don’t know anyone who is as energetic as she is, and that’s no exaggeration,” Annie said. “She keeps us hopping.”
Weaver said Mrs. Coody is the kind of person every community needs more of – always ready to serve others.
“She finds people in need and goes out and helps them,” he said.
“I don’t like to sit still,” Mrs. Coody said. “There’s always something a person should be doing. There’s always someone who needs a helping hand. My father taught me that when you see a need, take the lead. I have tried to live by that.”
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