She may be the oldest cougar? Just had her first birthday celebration too

[theking]

105-year-old woman celebrates with first-ever birthday party

A Cherryville woman’s first ever birthday party at age 105 was just perfect. Line dancers and square dancers performed routines to keep them entertained, 12-year-old Lily brought her 10-week-old yellow labrador named Nina to pet her, and she even had a chance to meet a miniature pony named Daniel Jackson .

When her 66-year-old boyfriend Joseph fell ill, his brother Ronnie Parks stepped in to give the honor of providing the first dance of the night.

Lorene Sumey wanted 105 birthday cards – one for each year of her life – but it ended up being more than 1,200 cards, and more are coming every day, according to her carers at Somerset Court in Cherryville. One birthday card came from Wisconsin, meaning Sumy received at least one birthday from all 50 states. Other cards have even arrived from England.

Cherryville Mayor HL Beam was on hand to wish her a happy birthday, as was Gaston County Commissioner Allen Fraley. Gov. Roy Cooper declared her actual birthday, November 23, to be “Lorene Sumney Day” in Gaston County. Beam named the Cherryville native the oldest person to live in either Gaston or Lincoln counties and the oldest member of the First Baptist Church of Cherryville.