Apopka resident Fern Clayton celebrated her 100th birthday on Saturday.
Clayton was born as Fern Willa Fieldhouse on March 21, 1926, in Dearborn, Michigan. Until she turned 18, her grandparents raised her in the country, where she loved animals and eating raw vegetables.
During World War II, Clayton worked at a local Army supply depot, then married a U.S. Army soldier after the war. She bore her only son in 1946 in The Bronx.
Clayton and her family moved to Miami a year later, where Clayton worked as a waitress, veterinarian assistant, and licensed practical nurse (LPN). She relocated to Apopka as a retiree in 1998.
Clayton currently lives alone, although her son, Ron Clayton, lives two doors away. She has no serious health issues and is still mobile, Ron said.