The staff at Pam’s Hallmark in Peachtree City pulled a fast one on their oldest customer Friday afternoon.

Mildred Maddalena, who turned 104 in October, was honored with a reception featuring light refreshments and a birthday cake. She visits her niece who lives in the area, Angela Miller, several times a year, and each time she stops in Pam’s Hallmark to stock up on birthday, anniversary and holiday cards.

“It’s just so pleasant,” Maddalena said, a compliment to the store’s staff. “I love coming here.”

The surprise party was so startling that Maddalena said she couldn’t work up much of an appetite for the goodies laid out in her honor.

Maddalena was one of eight children, and she grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. Today she lives in the Inman Park area in Atlanta, taking care of herself and making a weekly shopping trip to the grocery store with a neighbor.

Her secret for longevity?

“Well, if I knew that, I would write a book,” she said, adding that she has never drank coffee nor “hard drinks” though she does like a little wine once in a while.

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