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Luz Gamboa Rangel, of Crystal City, celebrated her 107th birthday on Feb. 8.
Luz Gamboa Rangel, of Crystal City, celebrated her 107th birthday on Feb. 8.
Luz Gamboa Rangel, of Crystal City, celebrated her 107th birthday on Feb. 8.
Luz Gamboa Rangel, of Crystal City, celebrated her 107th birthday on Feb. 8.
Luz Gamboa Rangel when she was 18 years old.
Luz Gamboa Rangel when she was 18 years old.
Crystal City is known for being the Spinach Capital of the World, and is home to a 107-year-old woman who is a living testament of Popeye’s trust in the leafy greens.
Luz Gamboa Rangel has lived in the town, about 2 hours southwest of San Antonio, for almost all her 107-year-old life. The supercenturian celebrated her birthday Feb. 8 with a stylish photoshoot directed by one of her 25 great grandchildren, Kathylina Acosta.
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Born in 1910 in, Rangel has lived through both World Wars, raised six children and welcomed 21 grandchildren, 25 great grandchildren and 5 great great grandchildren into her doting family. Her great grandaughter, Korissa Felan, 23, said her Rangel’s home in Crystal City has always been the place to be for her entire family.
Felan shared warm memories of her maternal matriarch’s home-cooked meals and her knack for gardening, a hobby she kept up with “deep into her 90’s.”
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Aside from tending her garden and keeping her family well-fed, Rangel worked at a local dry cleaning business and in the cafeteria at the Del Monte factory in town.
As a centurion Crystal City citizen, Rangel has racked up some fame in the town of just over 7,000. Felan said the city council hosted an event Wednesday to honor her grandma and named Feb. 8 “Luz Gamboa Rangel Day.”
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Felan said the birthday celebration will continue on Saturday at Rangel’s home, which everyone in the town is invited to attend. The grand daughter said strangers have stopped by to extend their well-wishes at past birthday parties.
And true to her name, Luz is the light of her family.
“When you meet her, there’s just this glow about her, she’s so lively and funny — she made everyone laugh at the event a few different times yesterday,” Felan added. “We love her very much.”
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