The sound of the mariachi playing a “Happy Birthday” melody along with the chanting of the lyrics by the band and guests filled the atmosphere inside the senior center at Chicanos Por La Causa’s Casa de Primavera senior apartments in west Phoenix on Thursday afternoon.
Carla Guerrero, a resident at the complex, sat at a table at the front of the room wearing a golden crown and yellow birthday sash surrounded by a cake, cupcakes and her loved ones, all gathered to celebrate a century of her life.
“I feel good, very good, thank God,” Guerrero said to La Voz/The Arizona Republic as she celebrated her 100 birthday with her family. “I have never suffered from any illness; I am in very good health.”
Guerrero, a strong, loving woman with tough skin, as her family describes her, has been a resident at Casa de Primavera for 12 years — a place where she stays busy every single day attending bingo sessions, Zumba classes and exhibiting her creativity through arts and crafts.
On Friday, Oct. 11, marked the day Guerrero fulfilled a century milestone that not every human being can achieve.