Z4—4 DAYTON DAILY NEWS Dec. 14-15,-1981

Your Neighborhood

On the day after Christmas, Mary PineMarshall, a former Washington Twp. resident, will do the same thing she alwaysdoes — celebrate another,birthday. She'sjust done it a little more often than mostother people. Mary will be 108 years oldDec. 26,1981.

Now a resident of Quaker Heights HealthCare Center in Waynesville, Mary's healthproblems make communication difficult.Most of what is known about her is learnedfrom other people who knew her.' Bom and raised in Lytle, a small townbetween Waynesville and Centerville, sheWas married to Ed Marshall, an earlySpring Valley mail route driver of the horseand wagon variety, according to Mrs. Calvin Longaker, Lytle resident who livedacross from Mary since she was 3 years oldand who now is "in her 70s.";:When Marthall died in 1912, Marymoved in with her widowed sister, Alice,and ^he two made their home on Lytle-ftrry Road until Alice's death In 1957. She•l^ed there about five more years until her,bl'other Billy's health was so bad she had tomove to his Washington Twp. home on Social Row Road to care for him.

;.When her health failed also, relativesplaced the .two in separate nursing homes,then'in Quaker Heists together when it

built in 1972. Billy died a year later atthe age of 98.

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staff Photo by RosiMackev

• MARY'S HIP WAS broken sometimearound 1974 and she is now confined to aWheelchair. Her eyesight is poor,*her hearing gone and teeth missing so It is difficultto understand her.

Mary Stone, director of nursing at thecenter, said recently that Mary can readnotes written to tell her what Is going on,and seems to understand. ,She prefers to bearound people and especially prefers tospend much time watching beautician Evelyn Crane working on residents' hair.

"She was an intelligent woman who readmostly the Bible," said Mrs. Longaker."She taught herself Greek, ^nd learned theBible in Greek." Although some peoplehave called Mary a Seventh-day Adventist,Mrs. Longaker remembers she "used to bea Methodist, and later attended the FerryChurch of Christ, but she said she wasn'tanything, she just lived by the Bible."

Deane Kenrick of Kettering lived next toMary for years and remembers Marycounted Saturday as the seventh day in theBible and celebrated her sabbath then, butas for being a Seventh-day Adventist, "Idon't think Mary would agree with that.". However, as long as anyone remembers,Mary has been a vegetarian.

108-year-old Maty Marshall with beautician Evelyn Grarife

MARY TOOK CARE of the house; hersister Alice took care of the grass, "andthey both did gardening." according to Mrs.Kenrick.

. Although no one knows, that is evidently

how the sisters survived through the years,with no visible means of support. Theywere frugal, and "raised chickens, sold 'eggs, and always had a garden," accordingto Mrs. Longaker.

"They lived very scantily, and ate oatmeal, tuna, peanuts, but they always helpedout people if they got sick," sheremembered.

"And she was always kind. During thewar, when we had sugar rationing, shewould bring us her sugar stamps and sometimes the sack of sugar because there wereonly two of them and five of us."

Mary never had children, and ail of herrelatives are gone now except a distantnephew. Mrs. Kenrick said she thinks a lotabout something Mary once told her: "You'must read and remember everything youcan, because someday you may get s6 thatyou cannot see and hear, and then you canlive with your memories."

"I hope that's what Mary is doing now,"

she said.

MARY DOES MORE THAN live with her

memories, though. She and Mrs. Crane canunderstand one another, so Mary enjoys liertrips to the beauty shop. "You're all I haveleft," Mary told Mrs. Crane recently^ shewas leaving, and they hugged.

Mary also prefers to wear dresses,, andgets her hair set often. She doesn't like tohave her glasses on in pictures because she'feels they make her "too goggly-eyed."

Beaulah Davis, director of QuakerHeights, says Mary is a real "favorite"there and that "she's our pet."

And, for those who are wondering, what*would she like for Christmas . . ^.wouldyou believe butterscotch candy? That is herfavorite kind, and Mrs. Crane alwaysbrings her some. Perhaps Santa willremember the little-Lytle girl who spenther first Christmas just one day shy of herfirst birthday in 1874. — By Rosi Mackey,Daily News special writer.

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Z4—4 DAYTON DAILY NEWS Dec^14-15.-1981

Your Neighborhood

On the day after Christmas, Mary PineMarshall, a former Washington Twp. resident, will do the same thing she alwaysdoes — celebrate another,birthday. She'sjust done it a little more often than mostother people. Mary will be 108 years oldDec. 26,1981.

Now a resident of Quaker HeightsHealthCare Center in Waynesville, Mary's healthproblems make communication difficult.Most of what is known about her is learnedfrom other people who knew her.: Bom and raised in Lytle, a small townbetween Waynesville and Centervllle, sheWas married to Ed Marshall, an earlySpring Valley mail route driver of the horseand wagon variety, according to Mrs. Calvin Longaker, Lytle resident who livedacross from Mary since she was 3 years oldMd who now U "in her 70s."J:When Marshall died in 1912,'Marymoved in with her widowed sister, Alice,and ^e two made their home on Lytle-Ferry Road until Alice'sdeath In 1957. She^Ved there about five more years until herbrother Billy's health was so bad she had tomove to his Washington Twp. home on So-elal Row Road to care for him.;;When her health failed also, relativesplaced the-two in separate nursing homes,then in Quaker Heights together when itwas built in 1972. Billydied a year later at^e age of98.

IVIaRY'S hip was broken sometimearound 1974 and she is now confined to aWheelchair. Her eyesight is poor,-her hearing gone and teeth missing so it is difficultto understand her.

Mary Stone, director of nursing at thecenter, said recently that Mary can readnotes written to tell her what is going on,

,and seems to understand. ,She prefers to bearound people and especially prefers tospend much time watching beautician Evelyn Crane working on residents' hair.

"She was an intelligent woman who readmostly the Bible," said Mrs. Longaker."She taught herself Greek, and learned theBible in Greek." Although some peoplehave called Mary a Seventh-day Adventist,Mrs. Longaker remembers she "used to bea Methodist, and later attended the FerryChurch of Christ, but she said she wasn'tanything, she just livedby the Bible"

Deane Kenrick of Kettering lived next toMary for years and remembers Marycounted Saturday as the seventh day in theBibie and celebrated her sabbath then, butas for being a Seventh-day Adventist, "Idon't think fjlary would agreewith that."- However, as long as anyone remembers,Mary has been a vegetarian.

MARY TOOK CARE of the, house; hersister Alice took care of the grass, "andthey bothdidgardening," according to Mrs.kenrick.

Although no one knows, that is evidently

'staff Photo bv Rosi (ii^eliey108-yearolcf Mary Marshall with beautician Evelyn Grarie

how the sisters survived through the years,with no visible means of support. Theywere frugal, and "raised chickens, soldeggs, and always had a garden," accordingto Mrs. Longaker.

"They lived very scantily, and ate oatmeal, tuna, peanuts, but they always helpedout people if they got sick," sheremembered.

"And she was always kind. During thewar, when we had sugar rationing, shewould bring us her sugar stamps and sometimes the sack of sugar because there wereonly two of them and five of us."

Mary never had children, and all of herrelatives are gone now except a distantnephew. Mrs. Kenrick said she thinks a lotabout something Mary once told her: "You *must read and remember everything youcan, because someday you may get sO Uiatyou cannot see and hear, and then you canlive with your memories."

"I hope that's what Mary is doing now,"

she said.

MARY DOES MORE THAN live with hermemories, though. She and Mrs. Crane canunderstand one another, so Mary enjoys hertrips to the beauty shop. "You're all I haveleft," Mary told Mrs. Crane recently^ shewas leaving, and they hugged.

Mary also prefers to wear dresses, andgets her hair set often. She doesn't like tohave her glasses on in pictures becauseshefeels they make her "toogoggly-eyed."

Beaulah Davis, director of QuakerHeights, says Mary is a real "fav#e"there and that "she's our pet."

And, for those who are wondering, jrhatwould she like for Christmas . . .-;^ldyou believe butterscotch candy? ThatjS herfavorite kind, and Mrs. Crane ^aysbrings her some. Perhaps Santfwillremember the little-Lytle girl who spenther first Christmas just one day shy of herfirst birthday in 1874. — By Rosi Mickey,Daily News special writer.

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March 16, 1983—The Western Star—Page 6-A

Mary Marshall's Many FriendsRemember Her With Tributes

By LYNN WILSON" Mary (Fine) Marshall loved

flowers and butterscotch candy.adam^Uy, refused to eat meat,taught herself Greek, wrote infinely drawn, precise script whenshe was dyer 90 years old. anddeclared she was of ho religiousdenomination — "I Just live bythe Bible;"

She died March 5 at QuakerHeights Health Center inWaynesville at 109. the oldestresident of Warren County. Maryhad been deaf for some time, andhad trouble seeing and speakingclearly at the end of her life. Herdeep voice reverberated throughQuaker Heights, raised almost to ashout since she couldn't hearherself.

Mary was a native of Lytle. Shelived there, oh the old Pinehomestead, until her marriage toEd Marshall in the fall of ,1902. Amail carrier in horse and buggytimes, he dropped dead ctfa heart

attack at a ballgame 10 ye^slater, leaving Mary a widow.

Friend R^embers Her"She was my Sunday school

teacher when I was 4 years old,"Ina Longacre said of her old friendlast week. Ina still lives in Lytleand can remember when "Maryused to bring us strawberries fromher garden. And during the war(World War 11) when she and hersister were living alone, she'd bring us five pounds of sugar. Therewere five in our family.

"Her garden was the showplaceof the community, she lovedflowers. I'd see her walking downthe road with a basket full of slipsfor a neighbor. . . she was such apretty woman."

Mary lived with her widowedsister* Alice, formerly wife ofLytle's Dr. L.G. Brock, until hersister's death in 1957. They didn'thave electricity (Ina doesn't knowwhy) and neither had a paying job

outside their home. J J|"Idon't know how they managS

ed." Ina says. "They did r^s^chickens and had a big gardei|Bwith strawberries and raspberwries. They ate tuna and peanui||butter, and Mary would wash prSthe board."

Real Bible Scholar '• 'mIna says Mary's knowledge oM

the Bible would make a schplP^envious but she was timid aodadidn't like being in the publib-f_eye. "She could speak up for^herself when she had to, though,'?.Ina insisted. '

Mary thought Venetian blind^;"made sucha nice, soft light. Bu&her sister—it was hei^house — wouldn't let her ge»them because she didn't waiSthem." Nor did Alice want to cutgdown abig maple tree in their yard^that was shading Mary's flowere.

After her sister died. Mary;'̂ordered Venetian blinds for eveiy ?room in the house and she had tfte.maple tree cut down.

By the time Mary died, her once :dark hair had turned white, butwas -"beautiful and thick for Herage." says another friend Evelyn 3Crane, 73. of Lebanon, who dress- jed Mary's hair every week for nine •;years. . .

"It was a big moment in her life(getting her half done)." Evelyn >says. "She wouldn't let anyone ~comb it out'for two or three days. •She'd put her hands up over hffhead to keep the nurses from con •bing it."

Aware Of SpeechTowards the end of her lif€,i|

Mary's speech was often unclear.jfbut Evelyn says she knew, after "nine years, a lot of what she was .saying; the two women wereclose.

Visitors at the home brought ababy into Quaker Heights one ,time and let Mary hold It. "She ;and that baby just rocked androcked," Eveljm says, "and Marydidn't want to let that baby go. Iwent over to her and just gentlytook the baby. But Mary keptholding her arms out, gesturing,so in a few minutes we let her holdit again."

At one point in their friendship :Mary told EJvelyn, "If you could ,just hear me better and understand me belter. I have so many ;things to tell you."

Three weeks before her death. '•she told her friend she was "tired"and "ready to go." : ; ,

Maiy is: ' :buried in Miami iCemetery.

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