Our birthday is one of the most important days of the year for many of us. It’s the day that we get to turn a year older and we can celebrate it with family and friends.
As we get older, each birthday takes on a new meaning. After all, life is precious and celebrating the fact that we are getting older is a privilege, and something that we should consider important.
There are some people who truly deserve to celebrate a birthday, and this includes Edith “Edie” Recagno Keenan Ceccarelli. She is the oldest living person in America and has turned 116 years old.
Edie lives in Willits, California. It is a small and charming town located in the northern part of the state. In order to celebrate her birthday, her hometown is throwing a big party.
Along with holding the distinction of being the oldest person in the United States, she is the second oldest person alive on earth. The town of Willits celebrates her birthday every year as a tradition. That day falls on February 5, but the festivities will take place this year on Sunday, February 4.
One of the big parts of the birthday celebration is a grand parade. That parade is going to include many in the community, from the Boy Scouts to the first responders and even many city employees. As it works its way through town, many people will be decorating their cars with flags, balloons, and signs and driving past her assisted living facility.
The lead organizer of the parade, Suzanne Picetti expresses how important it is to make her feel loved on that day. She said: “Every year at her birthday, we make sure she knows how special she is.” Even Edie is looking forward to the day, because she will be eating strawberry ice cream and having carrot cake.
When Edie turned 100 years old, the entire town was invited to join her in the festivities. The news was spread and it became a community event. Suzanne explained: “It brings community together to celebrate a really special human being. It brings a lot of joy and happiness to our community.”
Edie was born in Willits in 1908. Her entire life has been lived in Northern California, although her parents did emigrate from Italy in the early 1900s. She has six other siblings but has outlived all of them.
Her parents taught her the value of working hard, as she would take on side jobs to help with the family income. They grew their own food, they walked where they needed to go and they worked with their hands.
Edie is also someone who is stylish and continues to be so, even in her old age. She was often seen walking through town dressed beautifully including a hat, gloves, makeup, and jewelry. She is a mother to one daughter and grandmother to three granddaughters.
Unfortunately, Edie passed away just a few weeks after she turned 116. She will continue to be remembered as an inspiration to others. May she rest in peace.