nellie takacs celebrates 105th birthday 012212

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A century and then some

Area resident Nellie Takacs celebrates 105th birthday

By ALEX POWERS, Herald and News 1/20/12

H&N photo by Alex Powers Nellie Takacs is surrounded by residents in the memory care center at Pelican Pointe Assisted Living and Memory Care on Jan. 13. Takacs turned 105.

It’s not hard to tell when Nellie Takacs is joking.

The centenarian usually lets people know with a coy smile.

There was plenty of smiling Jan. 13, the day Takacs turned 105 years old.

She celebrated surrounded by residents in the memory care center at Pelican Pointe Assisted Living and Memory Care.

Takacs said she doesn’t try to understand how she’s lived to her age.

“I don’t stop to figure, I just keep going,” she said.

A long-time resident of Tulelake, Takacs was born in Washington. She said she’s “lost count” of how many grandchildren and great-grandchildren she has.

“ They just keep a-comin’,” she said.

One-hundred and five is a lot of birthdays to look back on.

“They were all pretty good,” Takacs said. However, she jokes, “I didn’t much enjoy this turning-100 business.”

Others gathered around Takacs as Pelican Pointe employees brought her a cake and flowers. She blew out a single candle (105 is a lot of candles, employees said) and drew the attention of friends.

“I think you look beautiful for 105,” said one woman sitting nearby.

Cathy VanDyke, Pelican Pointe’s care coordinator , said it’s not common for residents to turn 100, let alone 105.

Takacs, who lives in Pelican Pointe’s center for residents with dementia and Alzheimer’s, at times appears as though she can’t remember her age.

“She doesn’t think she can live that long,” Van-Dyke said. And at other times, she outright denies it. “I’m 105? I’ll take your word for it,” she said. Then she smiled.

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