Positively Las Vegas

Actions

‘It’s a dream come true:’ Woman married in Las Vegas during WWII returns for her 100th birthday

‘It’s a dream come true’: Woman married in Las Vegas during WWII returns for her 100th birthday
Screen Shot 2022-06-29 at 4.07.02 PM.png
Posted at 4:10 PM, Jun 29, 2022
and last updated 2022-07-01 10:45:14-04

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Turning 100 is no easy achievement, but Florence Cooper is doing it with style and grace.

On Tuesday Florence turned 100, and what she wanted most was to travel to Las Vegas with her family.

“I can’t believe I made it! Everything has been so lovely,” Cooper said.

Florence married her husband, Ken, in Las Vegas during World War II and for her milestone birthday, she just had to come back.

“At the time, we could only afford a little ring, so we went to the dime store and spent 25 cents and to this day, I still have the ring,” Cooper said.

It’s a moment she treasures, because this time, she returned without him.

“I miss him so much. He was simply the best. We made the best memories together,” Cooper said.

Her entire family, including daughters, grandchildren, and great grandchildren traveled from all over to join her for the birthday blowout.

“I feel very lucky, very fortunate. It’s a dream come true,” Cooper said.

So, what's her secret to a long, healthy life?

“Well, after hard thought it had to be the martini every night!” Cooper said. "Treasure the time you’ve got. You never know how much time you’ve got so you might as well live it up while you can.”

After KTNV contacted the Bellagio letting them know about Florence's big celebration, the team pulled out all of the stops to make it extra special. Bellagio staff surprised Florence with a birthday cake and flowers, upgraded her family’s rooms to have views of the iconic Bellagio Fountains, and gifted her with tickets to see Cirque Du Soleil’s show, ‘O’.