BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C. — With a cake and fruit punch, WWII veteran Bernice Liverett celebrated her 103rd birthday in style Wednesday inside the North Carolina State Veteran's Home.
Dozens of birthday cards and treasured photographs of Bernice added to the joy.
"I feel good, for an old lady," Liverett laughed. "It's almost unbelievable that all this is happening for me."
Liverett was born on an "icy and cold" evening in upstate New York on Jan. 12, 1919. During WWII she helped with medical transportation.
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Soon she fell in love with a sailor and started a life in North Carolina. Bernice has two children, four grandchildren, and now nine great-grandchildren.
Bernice said her love of cooking, puzzle-solving, and family have helped her reach this milestone.
"I feel like I need to give back something for all that they have done," she said. "I really do appreciate it."
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