Life is a Journey for 100-year-old Leona Wollesen

For 100-year-old Leona Wollesen, life is just beginning. Age is only a number for this longtime Marietta resident who has remained active all her life.

Wollesen said, "It's not where you've been, what you've done or experienced, it's about the journey. Every single person I have touched, known, and loved along the way—It will always be about the journey—Its really about today and tomorrow, and what more can I do to honor my Lord God. Life begins at 100.

What a journey she has had. Her involvement in the community was extensive. She was active in the Republican Party, Red Hat Society, school reunions, church, and the Blue Cross Blue Shield of GA Retiree Association (Ambassadors) that she co-founded and is still the director.

Active supporter of the President, Wollesen was one of the first in all of Georgia to receive, openly wear her MAGA cap, and actively campaign for the President from the instant he committed to run at Trump Tower

"I'm on my computer usually 5-6 hours, seven days a week communicating and staying in touch with relatives and friends everywhere," Wollesen said.

"There is no secret to my long life. I just kept busy and involved," Wollesen said.

Born in the mining town of Banner, AL, on August 5. 1920, Wollesen grew up in Birmingham, AL. Her husband was an executive pilot for US Steel Co, and the family was transferred to Pittsburgh, PA where they lived for 12 years. She worked for Mellon Bank International Department in Finance.

When her husband died, Wollesen moved to Cobb County, where she had friends. She has lived here for more than fifty years. She worked for Blue Cross Blue Shield in the Finance Department for 31 years until she retired at age 85.

Wollesen enjoys her family and considers being a good mother and grandmother one of her most significant accomplishments. She has a daughter Bonnie Wollesen Langford, deceased and a son, Woodrow Wollesen, three grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and another on the way.

Life did not come without challenges. Wollesen cared for her aging mother with a caregiver's help while supporting her children as a single mother. She educated her children, putting her son through college and law school.

Through her experiences, she has learned an important life lesson.

"Don' t give up. Keep moving forward and onward. Never backward," Wollesen said.