SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
A Sacramento woman celebrated her 107th birthday Wednesday with an unexpected surprise from the neighbors who gathered outside her home to sing and share a birthday cake.
June Relat, who turned 107 on Oct. 7, said she was overwhelmed by the gesture.
“I’m overcome,” Relat said.
Her daughter, Cathy Crothers, said neighbors in the Arden Park neighborhood organized the celebration without her knowledge.
“The street put it all together themselves. I had no idea,” Crothers said.
Relat’s life spans more than a century, including civilian service with the U.S. War Department during World War II.
Crothers shared photographs and original documents detailing her mother’s wartime work. A Western Union telegram dated December 1941 offered Relat an appointment as a stenographer earning $1,440 annually.
According to Crothers, her mother worked at the Pentagon before taking an overseas assignment in Brazil. A document dated 1945 recognized her civilian service overseas.
For Relat, the neighborhood celebration brought back memories of a time when neighbors regularly helped one another.
“In my day, everybody pitched in and helped everybody,” she said. “And just like a lot like you’re doing today. And I do appreciate it.”
Asked about reaching 107, Relat offered a simple response.
“Well, I don’t really think about it.”
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel.