StarWars.com talks with a Star Wars cosplaying family, including Mercedes Rentas Gelabert -- the oldest member of the 501st Legion.
Most Impressive Fans is a feature highlighting the amazing creativity of Star Wars devotees, from cosplay to props. If there’s a fearless and inventive fan out there, we’ll highlight them here.
At 90 years old, Mercedes Rentas Gelabert has the distinction of being the oldest member of the 501st Legion, proudly donning her Jawa costume walker and all.
But her recent acceptance into the group as a petite scavenger scrapping to survive comes as no surprise to her family.
Grandson Carlos Ramossanchez says his maternal abuela has always been a kid at heart, helping to raise Carlos and his twin sister, Yadira Ramos, when the family moved to San Antonio, Texas, from Puerto Rico.
At just 11, the twins knew very little English, so it was Mercedes who helped them with their homework and shepherded them to Little League practices, he says. She would also join in during their playtime antics, getting on the floor to color with them or dancing around to their favorite records.