Henneman turns 100 on Dec. 28, and her son Jerry and daughter in-law Maureen, of Mancos, have invited the whole town to stop by and ring in her centennial at Trinity Lutheran Church.
"I really don't know if there's a secret to it (living long), I've worked, I've been busy . it's just ordinary living," she said.
Before she and her late -husband Roy settled in Cortez they lived in cities across the U.S., and upon Roy's retirement, they traveled. A favorite places was Naples, Italy.
"Naples was very nice, and the food was closest to what we were used to," she said.
Settling in Cortez in 1972 to run the Aero Motel, the couple dove into local life. Virginia has been a Broncos fan since the team's inception, and doesn't miss a game. Roy got involved with politics. Virginia, who as a girl was accepted to Juilliard School of Music, used her talent to play organ at Trinity Lutheran Church, well into her 90s.
Through her lengthy time on earth, she's learned quite a bit.
"I think the best thing to learn for both children and adults is to be pleasant, friendly and thoughtful," she said.
Virginia Henneman's birthday celebration is Sunday Dec. 28 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Cortez from 1 to 3 p.m.
The Broncos play at 2:25 p.m., so arrive early.
