Mendocino County woman Edie Ceccarelli, 114, now world’s 3rd oldest person

Willits resident Edie Ceccarelli, whose 115th birthday is Feb. 5, is now the third oldest living person in the world.

Ceccarelli moved into the top three living supercentenarians, according to the Gerontology Research Group, after the death of a French nun, Sister André, who died Tuesday at a nursing home in the city of Toulon. Lucile Randon, her birth name, was a few weeks shy of her 119th birthday.

Ceccarelli, born Feb. 5, 1908, just two weeks ago became the oldest living U.S. citizen after the passing of Iowa resident Bessie Hendricks, who died at 115 years and 57 days.

Ceccarelli lives in a small care home in Willits, a city of about 5,000 people where she’s a celebrity.

She’s been slowed in recent years by advancing dementia. But her hometown has marked each of her last two birthdays with civic parades. Organizers hope to put on another drive-by celebration this year.