Mildred Landwehr said Saturday she feels like she "might be about 65."
However, the calendar says she turned 100 on Friday.
"I don't believe it, yet," she told the News Tribune on Saturday, during a reception where more than 100 friends and family members stopped by to visit, offer their congratulations and wishes for continued good health.
"I've had my ups and downs - but I was up more than down," she added. "And I had a good husband. I've got a wonderful family.
"And I couldn't ask for anything more."
She's been a widow for most of the last two decades.
However, said her son, Carl - second-oldest of her five surviving children, "She's always been positive.
"It just confirms in my mind that, if you take the right attitude about life, life will be good."
Carl said he couldn't remember a time when his mother didn't smile, and his siblings agreed she had very few down moments.
"She always did smile," Tom Landwehr said. "She was always the calming influence in the family."
Mildred explained, "We all have times when we don't smile, but you've got to pick yourself up and go on - don't look back, just look ahead.
"I'm happy. I love people and I love living."
Many things have changed during the last century, "very fast," she said. "When I was a baby, when I was a child, we didn't have electricity."
Oldest child - and only daughter - Stephana Landwehr said people should remember her mom as a good farm wife.
"She was a good manager of a lot of things," Stephana said. "She could manage food.
"She could manage the kitchen. She could manage the yard and the garden."
Former Mayor John Landwehr, next-to-last in Mildred's line of children, said the family is blessed.
"She's still in pretty good health. Her mind is good," he said.
And yongest son, Frank Landwehr - the only child who moved away from Jefferson City, and now lives in Ohio, said, "She was a hard worker and a good mom - and the times I remember most was when she took time to play a game with me or just do something special."
Each of her children were asked what one thing people should remember about Mildred.
In birth order, they said:
• Stephana: "She always went to church on Sunday, of course - and she would get up in the morning and go to the 5 o'clock Mass.
"(And) that she was a very caring person, a very caring mom."
• Carl: "She was hard-working, friendly and always smiling.
"She - I think more than anything - influenced us by her way of living and approach to life, setting a very high standard for all of us without demanding it."
• Tom: "Her kindness. She was always kind to everybody.
"She was always friendly to everybody. She was never too good not to talk to anybody."
• John: "Her basic goodness. Everybody has their moments, but my mom is consistently positive.
"She always goes out of her way to accommodate - her aim is to be cooperative.
"And there's just not a negative bone in her body."
• Frank: "Her faith is very strong - her Roman Catholic beliefs, faith in the church and the power of prayer.
"Her very deep, deep faith - and it's helped me and my family.
"I hope she has a lot more years, many more years."
There's no secret to her long life, Mildred said.
"There's not anything that I did that anybody else can't do," she explained. "I took it a day at a time.
"I never looked back, but always looked toward the future.
"And I think the Good Lord for giving me this time, and I'm thankful for my wonderful, big family."