WHITE CLOUD, Mich. — Marion Hines thanks God for her family – that is a common answer she gives when asked about her 100-year-old milestone.
“I'm a woman who is very blessed with family, God has been good to me,” Hines said.
Born in Chicago, Hines remembers taking the train to commute to work every day downtown. She worked at the Chicago Tribune before moving to White Cloud, where she started her impact on the community while waiting tables at Sally’s.
Her family moved to White Cloud after the thought of selling her lake house to save money.
Her family grew to love West Michigan and could not imagine letting that house go. Marion’s husband Robert built the house decades ago and she still lives there today.
“How fortunate we are that my husband saw the future and saw this place here,” she said. “Because this has been such a joy to be living out my last years in such a wonderful place that I don't have to go and live in a rest home, and that I'm well enough to take care of myself… How can you go wrong with that?"
Hines lives alone but one of her five children visits her every day. She expressed gratitude for the strong, tight-knit relationship her family has.
“I'm very fortunate,” she said. “First of all, that the Lord is giving me life so I can enjoy it, you know what I'm saying? And then that my family is still around, and I can enjoy them.”
This weekend, her family celebrated her birthday. She had over 200 guests.
On Thursday, Hines said she was relieved her birthday celebrations were almost over because her family had put in so much time planning her party.
“I'm so glad that they finally have got all the food designed for what they're going to have… they have been calling and checking and weighing and thinking ‘I don't know how much this one cost here, and this one cost two cents less here,’” she said.