Rafaela Vazquez, a native of Puerto Rico, has lived in southwest Marion County for 10 years.

Editor's note: This story has been revised to correct elements of Vazquez's family history, the spelling of Corozal, and the location of her 100th birthday celebration.

Rafaela Vazquez can trace her family tree back to the Taino Indians who, according to "What Became of the Taino?" on Smithsonian.com, invented the words canoe, hammock, barbecue and tobacco, and "greeted Columbus" when he arrived.

The spry native of Puerto Rico, whose 105th birthday was on April 3, celebrated on Friday surrounded by family members and friends at her home in southwest Ocala.

Her granddaughter Ana Gillies of Land O' Lakes, a registered nurse with AdventHealth Tampa, served as translator during the gathering at the home Vazquez shares with her daughter Blanca Rivera, 78, who is Gillies' mother.

Rivera, Irene Castro, 70, and Rafael Reyes, 75, three of Vazquez's five surviving children, spoke about her life.

Vasquez was born in 1914 in rural Corozal, Puerto Rico. Her mother, Felipia Garcia, worked in the coffee trade and her father, Benancio Vazquez, was in the tobacco industry.

Vazquez attended school until third grade. She worked in sugar cane fields and in all aspects of the tobacco trade from seed to finished products.

Vazquez married twice and both her husbands passed away. She had nine children with her first husband, four of whom also passed away. She has 25 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren and 20 great-great-grandchildren.

Gillies has traced her family tree, which she said goes back to the "India Taino," an indigenous people of Puerto Rico. She said her family also has Spanish roots.

Gillies said Vazquez has "always been proud of her Puerto Rican heritage."

Gillies said Vazquez has told her that while living in Puerto Rico, a method to survive hurricanes was that people would build a tent-like structure and the strongest men would hold the corners while families huddled inside.

She said her grandmother performed traditional Puerto Rican folk plena music and dance, perhaps with a large red sash.

Gillies said her father, Antonio Rivera, who was born in Puerto Rico, served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War era. Gillies was born in Corozal. When she was 3, the family moved to New Jersey.

The family moved to Florida 20 years ago. Vazquez moved to Marion County about 10 years ago.

Gillies said she recalls Vazquez being a stickler for proper posture.

Reyes said his mother was always impeccably dressed and "never wore pants.'"

Vazquez has seen developments like the advent of the computer and cellphone, and calls them "a wonder."

Vazquez's Catholic faith, her family, daily prayer book, "contagious singing," writing poetry, sense of humor, cooking native dishes and walking are all part of her recipe for a long life, Gillies said.

"And daily siestas," she added.

“My grandmother is living history. She always advises in a wise way, like a parable. I love her. She has been the matriarch that has kept our families together, like the patriarch in the 'Godfather' movie,” Gillies said.

"Rafaela's favorite cultural foods are pasteles de plátano or pasteles de arroz wrapped in plátano leaves and vianda, for example. Her secret to longevity is love of God and love of family," Gillies added.

She said that on the occasion of her 100th birthday, her grandmother enjoyed a visit to a water park in Tampa.