The United States’ oldest living person has reached the impressive age of 116.

On Monday, February 5, Edie Ceccarelli celebrated her 116th birthday, securing her position as the second oldest person globally, as reported by the Gerontology Research Group.

Ceccarelli’s roots trace back to the town of Willits, California, situated approximately three hours northwest of Sacramento.

Born to Italian immigrant parents on February 5, 1908, she was one of seven siblings. Ceccarelli graduated from Willits High School in 1927. In 1933, she tied the knot with Elmer “Brick” Keenan, and together they adopted a daughter before relocating to Santa Rosa.

The family resided in Santa Rosa until the early 1970s when they returned to Willits. Following Brick’s passing in 1984, Ceccarelli found love again and married Charles Ceccarelli, who sadly passed away in 1990.

Edie lived independently until the remarkable age of 107, at which point she transitioned to an assisted living facility.

Since turning 100, Edie has made it a tradition to invite the community to join in celebrating her birthdays, and her recent milestone was no exception.

On the day before her birthday, Sunday, members of the community organized a car parade in her honor. Additionally, Edie was delighted with a birthday cake, specifically a carrot cake.

Perla Gonzalez, one of Edie’s caretakers, recounted her excitement upon learning about the cake choice, stating, “She got very excited when she learned the cake would be carrot cake. She said, ‘Oh really, honey?’ and lit up.”

Lead parade organizer Suzanne Picetti expressed the community’s commitment to making each of Edie’s birthdays special, emphasizing, “Every year at her birthday, we make sure she knows how special she is.”

Happy 116th birthday, Edie!