Irene Langness, a resident at Auburn’s Parkside Retirement Community, turns 104 on Dec. 17.

“I’ve been pretty lucky,” said Irene, part of the Parkside center for a several years and a longtime Puget Sound area resident. “I don’t know if I have any secrets (to longevity). I just refuse to go. Being Irish, I’m so stubborn.”

A strong and independent woman, Irene enjoys pinochle, tea parties and her many friends. A gifted seamstress, she is famous for her cinnamon rolls, her love of family, garages sales and dancing.

“She greets me with a big smile and many stories of the good ol’ days living in Seahurst where neighbors were like families,” said Auburn’s Vonnie Gooch, whose mother, Violet, shared a longtime friendship with Irene. “She still likes to get dressed up. Her sense of humor is still intact. … She tells me she is doing pretty darn good for 104, and I have to agree.”