The sweet and serene 107th birthday celebration for Mary Martin McGinnis reflects a life filled with qualities such as kindness and human compassion. Born on June 26, 1915, Mrs. McGinnis embodies peace and goodwill. She resides in Louise.
Her parents were Nathaniel and Blanche Martin. She was reared on the farm, attended the one-room schoolhouse and mastered the vocational and commercial educational training she received. Kenzie and Mary McGinnis were married in 1932. To this union, eleven children were born; two of whom are deceased. Kenzie and Mary purchased and maintained forty acres of farmland. Prior of his death, they worked hard to cultivate the land and its produce, and Mary has maintained the rich heritage of entrepreneurship.
Mary also served as bus driver for the Head Start Program. She always felt that “the little babies” needed a “head start” to ensure a promising future. On a personal level, Kenzie and Mary encouraged their children to seek excellence: academically, athletically, artistically and professionally.
As a member of Foundation Baptist Church, Mary is the “Mother” of the congregation and has served a choir president. She is a strong biblical reader. At her birthday celebration, she joined in singing “This Little Light of Mine.”
Mary Martin McGinnis has lived through two worldwide pandemics (1918 and 2020), nineteen U.S. Presidents, the depression, many wars and the era of civil rights. She has witnessed six generations of the McGinnis family. Mary is indeed a Proverbs 31 type of woman, for she is loving, giving, helpful and dutiful. At her birthday celebration, she said: “I thank God for the blessings of life for we serve Him and His guidance is our strength”.
She has received congressional citations, a Trailblazer Award from the American Association of Retired People (AARP) and was featured on “The Today Show.” As a “Semi-supercentenarian,” Mary Martin McGinnis is a legend and represents the exemplification of longevity.
