At 104, woman is living U.S. history at inauguration

I can't even imagine how wonderful this will be for her.

CLEVELAND — Ella Mae Johnson hasn't just paid attention to American history, she's lived it.

And come Jan. 20, she'll be part of the crowd to witness President-elect Barack Obama make history.

At 104 years young, the black woman from Cleveland plans to celebrate her 105th birthday by attending Obama's inauguration a week later. Johnson was invited by Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Cleveland, at the suggestion of Johnson's retirement home.

"It is fitting that she should mark her 105th birthday this January by witnessing the swearing in of our nation's first African-American president," Brown said in a statement. "I am honored to be part of her journey."

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She said Wednesday that although she admired the incoming president, she was more impressed with Obama's young family, his willingness to show affection to wife Michelle and daughters, and with his roots to Kenya.

"This affects young people in a way that's different," Johnson said. "I think it's good for us all. He's leading the country in the direction of taking care of each other."