Colorado Springs woman celebrates milestone 101st birthday, shares secret to a long, happy life
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Here at KRDO13, we love celebrating milestone birthdays of our community members – and we got to be part of one yesterday!
Surrounded by family and friends, Edna Nielson Dejohn rang in her 101st birthday on Dec. 29, and we were lucky enough to get an invite to her big birthday bash at Springs Ranch Memory Care.
Edna was born on Dec. 29, 1924, in Marysville, Kansas, but today, she resides at Springs Ranch in Colorado Springs.
Her friends there say she lives every day laughing and staying social – just two of the traits she says are necessary for living a long, happy life. Edna says that in her 101 years, she's learned the key to happiness is to choose joy every day.
But she tells KRDO13 she also has one hobby she's had to set aside – in her words, "speed."
"Oh, my Camaro. It was great, I like that speed! I drove until I was 95," Edna said.
Edna says she lets someone else do the driving now, while she spends more of her time playing Bingo, doing crossword puzzles, and enjoying visits from her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
As for her secret to living such a long life? Well, she says she learned the secret from another relative on their 100th birthday: when people asked her how she lived so long, she said simply, "Don't die."
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