Meta Monteleon — she’s the oldest living nurse from WWII — recently celebrated her 108th birthday at the Carl Vinson Medical Center.
Dressed in her finest pearls, sparkling crown and pink dress, Monteleon was ready to celebrate. Those at the facility said she wears her pearls every day.
“Pearl earrings and pearl necklaces, and that fits her personality. If you think about Monteleon you definitely think of a jewel,“ nurse Tina Montford told 11Alive. “She has a very welcoming and warm spirit. She’s genuine, everything about her is just lovely.”
Monteleon is no stranger to making waves, even in her older age. At 98 she gave a speech at the VA’s memorial service — a speech daughter Martha Duke said “brought the house down.”
“My years as an Army nurse were the best years of all, exciting and fulfilling,” the retired nurse, who recommends a nursing career to young people as an opportunity to meet nice people and broaden their life experiences. said in her speech.
While Monteleon said she doesn’t have plans to stop being active and happy as she ages, she did share her secret.
“Learn to labor and to wait, and those words that have followed me throughout my whole entire time here at the VA, and those are certainly words to live by. Learn to labor and to wait,” she said.
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