A lifetime of faith and memories

Marshall Allen

GLENDALE -- Mary Margaret Marie Estes Shaw -- “Margie” to her friends

-- celebrates her 101st birthday Tuesday.

Her birthday was celebrated at Glendale Presbyterian Church Sunday,

where she was given a special greeting by Pastor Brad Calhoun during the

11 o’clock service.

Much of Shaw’s life has been centered around her strong faith in God

and the Bible and the church, she said. She has been attending Glendale

Presbyterian since 1972. In his congratulations to Shaw, Calhoun listed

some of the events that happened in 1901, the year of her birth:

* President William McKinley was assassinated, and Theodore Roosevelt

became president.

* The first zeppelin airship flight took place.

* The first Nobel prize was awarded.

* Baseball’s American League started.

The congregation enjoyed the factoids, but the most response came from

the average cost of a 3-bedroom home in 1901: $2,225 -- which could be

considered a lot of money when the average annual income was $442.

Some of the life events Shaw said she remembers most are when she saw

her first car at the age of 5.

“It looked like a buggy without a horse,” she said.

She also remembers 1920, the first time women were allowed to vote --

and has kept up with world events and voted in every election since.

The secret to her long life has been her faith, the fact that she

lived a simple life and that she was happily married to her husband

Robert for 58 years, Shaw said. Also, she hasn’t lost her sense of humor

and has been able to accept life’s tragedies without becoming bitter.

Shaw lost two daughters to cancer in 1972.

All in all, the things she’s most thankful for as she looks back on

life are the salvation provided by God through Jesus Christ and God’s

faithfulness to her and her family, Shaw said.

101 YEARS YOUNG

* In 1901, the population of the United States was 77,584,000.

* Eggs cost 22 cents a dozen.

* A loaf of bread cost a nickel.