One of Gerber’s grandchildren, Rita Beiser, said five-inch candles were lit with several lighters and all 107 candles were blown out by Gerber and 16 of her 18 great-great-grandchildren who attended the birthday party.
“It was a very happy day,” Beiser said. “She’s an amazing lady.”
Beiser said her uncle had the idea of purchasing a sheet cake large enough to hold the 107 candles. The family wanted the great-great-grandchildren to understand Gerber’s age.
MORE: ‘Life is good’: Meet the Butler County woman who turns 107 today
She and her husband, Fred, were married for 55 years, until he died in 1988. They had three children: Patricia, 83, who lives in Washington, D.C.; Kenneth, 78, who lives in Wilmington; and Jerry, 81, who died in June.
She also has 12 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren and 18 great-great-grandchildren.
She lives on the Gerber Farm near the farm of former Ohio governor, U.S. representative and presidential candidate James Cox.
Gerber was born on Nov. 12, 1912 in Mowrystown, Ohio, and she still recalls helping her father, a mail carrier, deliver fresh milk to the local residents in his Model T. They dropped off racks of eight bottles on the porches at night when it was cooler because no one had refrigeration.
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