Not many people can say they know what it’s like to turn 106, but Ellen Virginia Sorrels Seawright will soon belong to that club, as her birthday is on Monday, which just happens to be the 106th day of the year.

Seawright, who was born all the way back in 1912, celebrated with friends and family on Saturday at the Heritage House Retirement and Assisted Living Center, where she has resided since 2004.

As her birthday cake was brought over to her, Seawright addressed the party before everyone sang happy birthday.

“Hello everyone, I love each and everyone one of you,” Seawright said. “Thanks for coming.”

Seawright’s husband passed away in 1983, and she never had any children, but she is the last surviving of her 11 sisters and brothers, and many of her nieces and nephews were present at her party, which even included some great-great-great nieces and nephews.

Seawright said her long life has made for quite a story, a sentiment her niece Nona Spencer echoed.

“She taught school in Texas for 41 years,” Spencer said.

“She’s world-traveled, more than once, and she used to be able to play the organ and piano in the Methodist church up into her nineties, and she drove up into her nineties.”

Seawright’s condition today is nothing short of remarkable, especially when you consider that she lived through both World Wars, the Women’s Suffrage movement and the Great Depression. She was 57 when a man first landed on the moon, and 77 when the Berlin Wall came down.

“She still sees pretty well, she can read and write still, a little hard of hearing, and she still lives in the assisted living side of the center and not the nursing home side,” Spencer said.

Spencer said her family has been having these big birthday parties with Seawright since she was 96 years old, and around 100 people attend each year.

Seawright could be seen smiling and laughing while greeting the many guests at the party.

“She’s very spunky, and just a dear and a lot of fun,” Spencer said. “She does a real good job of keeping everybody straight.”