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The Town of Belhaven honored its oldest living resident by celebrating her on her 100 birthday and declaring Monday as Lyndell Wahab Day.

Wahab was born on Jan. 25, 1921 and has dedicated much of her life to the town and people of Belhaven. From growing up in the area and raising her own children in town to working in the U.S. Postal Office for over 25 years after her husband was involved in a hunting accident, she has many fond memories of her time as a town resident.

To celebrate her dedication to Belhaven, the Board of Aldermen adopted a resolution to declare Jan. 25, 2021 as Lyndell Wahab Day at their December meeting. A commemorative ceremony was held at the Town Municipal Building on Monday. Mayor Ricky Credle presented Wahab with a framed copy of the resolution

“It means a lot to me. It means a lot. The people in Belhaven mean a lot to me and the people have always meant a lot to me. I just enjoy people,” said Wahab. “To think that anybody thought enough of me to work up this holiday is more than I can take, almost.”

Following the dedication ceremony, a socially distanced celebratory parade was held outside of Wahab’s home. The parade was kept secret from Wahab and over 25 cars full of townspeople drove by to offer their birthday wishes and gifts. Some cars were decked out with signs and balloons and even drove by multiple times to offer their congratulations despite the rain.

“It’s just something I never expected and I feel like I’m living in a dream. It’s just not true but it is true and I’m very very very thankful for it. I can’t even tell you how grateful I am for all of this,” said Wahab.