by MATT HUGHES
J-E Editor
On Friday, Mary Shoulders celebrated an early birthday with the ladies at Adrena’s Beauty Shop in Clay, where she has been getting her hair done for almost half of her life. That’s not all that unusual a fact, until you consider that on Monday she turned 100.
“When I got out of beauty school I had to work for six months in Providence as an apprentice hair dresser,” said Adrena Green, now retired. “Mary was one of my first customers.”
Now Green’s daughter Rhonda Wright is Mary’s hear dresser, and that long time bond between them inspired the special birthday celebration, complete with a complimentary hair cut.
“She said she was going to slap me for putting a birthday announcement in the newspaper,” Rhonda said.
Mary Shoulders was born Mary Gibson on January 19, 1915. Although she says she has no idea where she was born, she grew up in the country just outside of Dixon. She was the seventh of ten children (five boys and five girls), a fact the she said people in those days considered a blessing.
“I was the seventh child, so I was supposed to be blessed,” she said with a laugh. “Back then when the seventh child was born, all of the older people clapped their hands and said ‘praise the lord!’”
After marrying her late husband, Crawford Shoulders, she moved across the county to Clay, where she has been ever since.
Crawford and Mary Shoulders had three sons, although Mary said she always wanted to daughter.
“I wanted a girl, but the lord spoke to me and said ‘I’m not going to give you a girl. I’m going to give you a son who will take care of you.’ My son Roger still takes care of me. The Lord gave him to me.”
Mary said that she couldn’t begin to tell her story or explain how she had lived for 100 years, other than the power of prayer.
“Everyone should pray for one another,” she said. “I pray for my family, wherever they are, every night before I go to bed.”
Mary has eight grandchildren, and more great grandchildren than she said she can count. Her family had a birthday party for her on Sunday in Clay.
Reach MATT HUGHES
at 270-667-2068 or
matt@journalenterprise.com
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