A story that was 100 years in the making -
David Middlecamp - Photos from the Vault

Tribune, The (San Luis Obispo, CA) - February 28, 2015

Eduviges Correa was born in San Luis Obispo, Alta California, Mexico, on Feb. 22, 1845. A century later, she celebrated her birthday in San Luis Obispo, California, U.S.A.

Telegram-Tribune reporter Buz Salisbury wrote this story on Feb. 22, 1945:

Mrs. Correa of San Luis Obispo Is Hundred Years Old Today

A century of San Luis Obispo history is embraced in the memories of Mrs. Eduviges Correa, who celebrated her 100th birthday here today.

Mrs. Correa was the youngest daughter of Don Ynocete and Bruna Garcia, born Feb. 22, 1845. Her father was an administrator of the three missions, San Luis Obispo, San Miguel and Santa Barbara.

Today the 100-year-old woman, who lives at 1602 Johnson Ave., is as lively as a linnet and her Spanish beauty is not lost with the years.

Took airplane ride

Just three years ago Mrs. Correa took her first airplane ride and was in the air for an hour. Thrilled with her experience, she pronounced air travel her favorite and observed that she would never travel by slower train again.

In her century of living she has been the mother of 10 children and has been married twice.

She was first married to Jose Ramos in the mission in 1867, when she was 22. Her husband, a handsome but delicate young man from Portugal, died five months after their marriage. Her first son was born within the next few months.

After three years of widowhood, she was again married in the mission to Francisco Correa, who was born at La Graciosa, in the Azores Islands. Correa became a prominent San Luis Obispo merchant whose property included that section of the city from Monterey and Santa Rosa streets across to the city creek and down to Chorro Street, in addition to some outlying land. Scorning any social prestige from his prominent Portuguese family, he devoted his life to hard work and to achievement in California.

The father of eight daughters and a son, he died in Jan. 14, 1884.

Four daughters

Four daughters living today are Mrs. Irene Tercis, who left her position in San Francisco six years ago to remain here with her mother; Mrs. E.A. Branch of San Luis Obispo; Mrs. Minnie Aguilar of San Francisco; and Mrs. Ellen Walford of Eureka.

Of late years her thoughts have turned often to the days of early mission life, to the time when her brother lassoed a wild bear near where she was picking flowers, and to a gala day-long trip with her family to Arroyo Grande to see a circus.

Spanish fiestas sometimes lasting several days at the homes of relatives were thrilling times in the girlhood of Mrs. Correa, who occasionally made "extensive" trips by covered wagon or ox cart to Atascadero, making overnight stops at Santa Margarita. Bull fights were popular up and down the coast in her early youth.

A good nurse by necessity and practice, at one time she fought desperately for the lives of many in the community when an epidemic of cholera raged.