Lucile Baugh doesn’t drink, smoke or swear, and she credits her longevity to staying active in Sunday school.

“It gets me out of the house and I like to go to church,” Baugh said. “I like Sunday school, like going and I have never missed (a Sunday).”

The 91-year-old Gordon County native is a member of South Calhoun Baptist Church, and she recently received an award for 53 years of perfect attendance for Sunday school.

“I never won something and it makes me feel good to win something,” Baugh said. “I was tickled to death.”

Pastor Gary Bowman of South Calhoun Baptist Church said the award, which was presented in front of the church congregation, was a special recognition of Baugh for going the extra mile.

“She’s always in the same chair Sunday after Sunday, and I think that just encourages the rest of us. She’s our oldest member and she just right there in her spot,” Bowman said.

For many years, Baugh said she would walk through sleet and snow to church from her home; however, in 2005, she was injured from a fall, leaving her unable to walk to church.

“I walked when it was sleeting and snowing,” Baugh recalled, of the mile-long journey.

She has lived an active life, staying busy working for several years at Smitty’s Restaurant and later working at Georgia Tufters.

While she doesn’t drive, her daughter Bonnie Talley of Calhoun now takes her to Sunday school.

“I guess she’ll still go till she’s too disabled to go,” Talley said.

Talley said her mother is deserving of the perfect attendance Sunday school award and her mom remains an inspiration to her.

“She does her own cooking and cleaning and that’s an inspiration to me,” Talley said. “And just that she goes to church.”

Talley said she must now hold on to her mother and help move her when she is walking, but she’s not letting her miss a Sunday.