Besse Cooper knows what it feels like to turn 100. She did it 16 years ago.
As reported by the Walton Tribune, Cooper, of Between, Georgia, celebrated her 116th birthday on August 26, and is only one of eight people to have reached that age.
Cooper was born in Tennessee, married when she was 28 and has four children, 12 grandchildren, as well as great- and great-great-grandchildren. She currently lives in a Georgia nursing home.
Her significant milestone is being recognized by her local municipality with a bridge being named after her.
With news coverage of her 116th birthday – making Cooper the oldest living woman in the world – local residents and politicians say they are happy to help celebrate Cooper’s birthday.
“Besse is such a sweet woman. I have had a chance to talk to her, hear her stories, and if we are going to be put on the map, she is a great reason,” Polly Gasstrom, a local mayor, told the newspaper.
Between is a small town in rural Georgia with a population of about 300.