Texas man, 105, to witness his 13th total solar eclipse: 'They're so beautiful'
A 105-year-old Texas resident is gearing up to see the total solar eclipse on April 8 — and it's not his first rodeo.
LaVerne Biser of Fort Worth said his interest in astronomy began in high school, back in the 1930s. The umbraphile, a term referring to people who chase eclipses, spent his childhood admiring stars from his parent's Troy, Ohio, farmland in the 1920s, he told FOX 4 Dallas.
"Growing up, we were familiar with Orion’s shield, the Big Dipper … all the G5 constellations," he said.
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He still recalls seeing the Milky Way for the first time as a child.
But it wasn't until 1963 that he saw his first total solar eclipse — and he was hooked.
Forth Worth resident LaVerne Biser has been captivated by total solar eclipses since seeing his first one in 1963. (The Biser family/Getty Images)
"You see one, you want to see them all and will do everything you can to see them," Biser said.
"They're so beautiful."
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Biser, an engineer by trade, earned his bachelor's degree from Ohio State University in 1942. He later completed his master's degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, before moving on to work for General Dynamics, a global aerospace and defense company headquartered in Reston, Virginia.
Biser and his wife, Marion, who died at age 97 in 2023, enjoyed traveling and watching eclipses as a couple.
LaVerne and Marion Biser would travel across the country to see total solar eclipses, such as in this picture taken in 1988. (The Biser family)
When the couple wasn't visiting the U.S. Virgin Islands or the Black Sea, they would drive across the country to find the ideal spot to see a total solar eclipse.
The centenarian is still able to recite the years when he witnessed a solar eclipse.
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"1963, 1972, ‘79, ’84, ‘88, ’91, ‘94, ’98, '99, 2012, 2017, 2023," Biser said to FOX 4.
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The eclipse of 2017 was the last eclipse that he witnessed together with his wife.
"It was a good one," he recalled.
Seen here is a picture of the 1972 solar eclipse, left, and a picture of Biser preparing to see the solar event in 1972, at right. (The Biser family/Getty Images)
Biser carefully planned his next eclipse viewing. He has determined that he'll travel from Fort Worth to Plano.
"Over here, I’m at the edge of the pattern and it doesn’t last very long," he said.
"Over there is closer to the middle. It’ll last three or four minutes over there. That’s where we’re going to go. My daughter is there in Plano."
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The amateur astronomer cautions everyone to wear their safety glasses while gazing at a partial eclipse, but says they can remove them once a total solar eclipse is reached.
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And when asked about his health, Biser credited his longevity and energy to his teetotalism, plus never smoking cigarettes or taking illicit drugs, according to FOX 4.
LaVerne Biser, third from right, was able to attend his granddaughter's wedding in 2023. (The Biser family via FOX 4 Dallas)
"Just good Christian living," he said.
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