A beloved member of Covenant Cafe, a social group for people experiencing memory loss, Dotterer was honored this week with a surprise celebration for her milestone birthday, organized by Cafe volunteers and attended by fellow participants and family.

Born Verna Rothermel on Sunday, Dec. 20, 1925, Dotterer has lived through one of the most transformative centuries in human history. Throughout it all, she has lived a life defined by her faith, family and resilience.

Verna came into the world on the 65th anniversary of South Carolina’s secession from the Union and just five years after women secured the right to vote. As a child in the Roaring Twenties, she was four at the time of the Great Stock Market Crash of 1929, and some of her earliest memories are of life during the Great Depression. She often recalls underselling produce at her father’s insistence — a Pennsylvania Dutch farmer from Rough and Ready, Pa. — so neighbors could afford to eat during those unprecedented times.

In the midst of World War II, at just 16, Dotterer enrolled at Penn State and is one of the university’s last surviving alumni from that era. There, she earned a degree in home economics and afterward devoted most of her life to teaching. Many of those years were spent at BEN.

HUNTER SMITH/THE EXPRESS From left, Charles Dotterer and Ralph Dotterer converse as Rosie Dotterer looks on at Verna Dotterer, center, admiring her cake. Fran Decker, a Covenant Cafe organizer, reaches for plates.

Born a member of the Silent Generation and before the first commercial jetliner took flight, she witnessed mankind’s first foray into space, the moon landing and, on her 94th birthday, the creation of the United States Space Force — underscoring how dramatically the world has changed during her lifetime.

Though the United States has one of the highest populations of centenarians, very few Americans are fortunate enough to reach 100. According to the Pew Research Center, only about 0.03 percent of the U.S. population have achieved the milestone. When Verna was born in 1925, the average life expectancy was just 57 to 60 years. Even today, with vastly improved medical care, women typically live only to 81. At 100, Verna has far surpassed those expectations.

When asked the secret to her longevity, she credits her faith.

“I’m very proud of the fact that I’ve got something that’s so rare,” said Dotterer, a lifelong Christian. “I love the Lord, and I think He must like me, so I’m giving him credit.”

To mark the milestone, Verna was treated to a special celebration by her friends at Covenant Cafe at the end of their bi-weekly meeting Dec. 16. Volunteer organizers arranged for gifts, a cake and for her family to be in attendance.

HUNTER SMITH/THE EXPRESS Verna Dotterer is pictured while opening one of her gifts, many of which were sheep-themed.

The cake from Genie’s 3 Wishes Bakery in Lock Haven, along with several gifts, reflected her connection to the Dotterer family sheep farm. One especially meaningful present, organized by Anne Miller, 91, of Castanea, was a “Cup of Love” filled with heartfelt messages from Covenant Cafe attendees and others close to Verna.

“She’s been coming for about three years, and the first thing that impressed us about her was she came on her own at first,” said Fran Decker, Covenant Cafe organizer. “Everybody here really loves her, because when we do reminiscence, she tells the best stories.”

Decker recalled that during the first time she joined in the reminiscence group, she shared her favorite birthday memory.

“It was her turn, and she said real seriously — acting like it was no big deal — ‘When I was 90, I went to California to visit my son, and he took me skydiving for my birthday.’ And we all asked, ‘Well, did you go?’ and she said, ‘Well of course. Who wouldn’t go!'” she shared with a laugh.

“She has a very wide view of the world.”

HUNTER SMITH/THE EXPRESS Verna Dotterer is pictured while opening one of her gifts, many of which were sheep-themed.

Much of that perspective stems from her global connections. As a longtime student exchange program host, her network spans from Australia to Poland. For her birthday, one of her former students from Norway traveled to wish her well, as did another who is originally from the Philippines. This weekend, she also is expecting visits from her grandchildren in California and Florida.

“She has lived a pretty remarkable life,” said her son, Ralph Dotterer, who attended the celebration alongside his brother, Charles, and their wives, Rosie and Sandy.

Verna’s daughter-in-law, Sandy Dotterer, described her as an inspiration for her devotion to God and unmatched work ethic.

“She is the guide post for our family,” she said.

PHOTO PROVIDED One highlight included posing with Pa. State Rep. Stephanie Borowicz (R-76). “She is an inspiration for us all,” Borowicz said on social media.

PHOTO PROVIDED One especially meaningful present for Dotterer’s birthday was organized by Anne Miller, 91, of Castanea. The “Cup of Love” was filled with heartfelt messages from Covenant Cafe attendees and others close to Verna.

PHOTO PROVIDED Verna poses for a portrait with her son, Ralph Dotterer, Jr., and his wife, Rosie, in a photo courtesy of photographer Bill Raco.

PHOTO PROVIDED A handmade card with 100 candles was among the gifts Verna received, as the milestone number would not fit on a cake.

PHOTO PROVIDED Verna's cake is shown.