REDDING, Calif. - A Redding woman who hails from the area celebrated her 100th birthday at the Sheraton Hotel on Saturday afternoon with more than 150 family members and friends.

Beatrice, or 'Bea', Currie was born on August 20, 1925, in Redding.

She has spent most of her life in the region, returning to teach in the area for decades after she graduated from UC Berkeley with degrees in both history and Spanish.

Currie is a member of the 'Shasta Birding Society' , a non-profit that aims to conserve and restore natural ecosystems.

Just four days ahead of her century-mark birthday, Currie received an accommodation letter from Chico State, her alma mater.

She was just one thesis away from earning her Masters Degree as a Wildcat when she attended: "While her degree was never formally co

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