By Mary O’Keefe

Sara Dorinda Latuf smiled even after her 18-hour flight from Argentina. That long trip with layovers and stand-bys did not seem to dampen her spirits or upset her. Perhaps because when you reach 100 years old there is not much that can rattle you—living a century you have just about seen it all.

Sara’s son Bill and his wife Joann live in La Crescenta. Bill is a volunteer at the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station. They often travel to visit Sara in Argentina but for her 100th birthday she wanted to come to them.

“Yes, I am very happy to be here with my family. I came from Argentina and I’m very pleased [to be here],” Sara said.

Her daughter Elsa came with her mother to join in the celebration.

“[During the flight] she was so happy. She was wonderful,” Elsa said.

When asked about his mother’s longevity Bill said he thought it was her positive attitude.

“She is always happy. I have never seen her depressed. She was always active,” he said. “She also never drank or smoked. She still does not take any medication.”

The Latuf family is originally from Argentina. Bill came to the states in 1958 with his father to look for work. They sent money home to their family. Then his father died in a car accident. Bill remained in America and continued to send support home.

The Latufs had a small company in Argentina that made sheets for larger companies, Bill said.

“She worked there until she was 75 years old and until a couple of years ago she was still cooking for everyone,” he added.

“And she is really fast [in the kitchen],” Elsa added.

Throughout her life she has always politically aware and continues to watch Spanish CNN.

Sara said the most change she has seen during her 100 years is politics.

“It was political, yes because the President [Cristina Fernandez De Kirchner] we have now did many things for the country,” she said.

She added that modern conveniences were another welcome change over the years.

“When I was younger I had to clean clothes by hand, and I worked a lot more. There weren’t the things that are here now, [we] have advanced a lot,” she said.

She is extremely proud of receiving a birthday card from President Barrack Obama.

“She asked if she should write back,” Bill said.

Family celebrates 100th birthday X

  100 year old, argentina, latuf