Longtime Aurora Resident Celebrates 101st Birthday On Christmas

AURORA, IL — A longtime Aurora resident celebrated her 101st birthday on Christmas Day.

Jessie Rangel was born and raised in Aurora before getting married at 21 and moving to Mexico, where she lived for 20 years. She has lived in Aurora ever since.

"This is a huge milestone for Jessie," said Mayor John Laesch, who presented the birthday girl with a plaque commemorating the milestone. "The City of Aurora is proud to recognize her 101st birthday and appreciates her decades of service to the community."

Bourge and her husband, Carlos, had five children together and were married for more than 50 years.

She worked until she was 75, cooked until she was 99. She has never had surgery, nor does she take any medication, Communications Manager Jon Zaghloul wrote in a news release.

How does she do it? Bourge's secret to long life is all about eating healthy, and that includes making everything from scratch and avoiding all fast food, she said. She also attributes her age to getting the right amount of rest each night and drinking a glass of wine with dinner.