Sept. 29, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sunny Hill resident celebrates 101st birthday

JOLIET - Maggie Weithers spent her 101st birthday the way she spends many of her days - singing.

Miss Maggie, as she as called at Sunny Hill Skilled Rehab Center, 421 Doris Ave., loves to sing along to gospel music. She knows most of the words, but don’t ask her if she has a favorite song. She enjoys them all.

On Tuesday, Sept. 27, the song she wanted to hear wasn’t one of the beloved gospel tunes she used to sing in the Mt. Zion Baptist Church choir. On Tuesday, the song she liked best was “Happy Birthday."

She was serenaded throughout the day and then again several times during a family party at the county-owned nursing home. She even sang it to herself one time, accompanied only by a big grin across her face and a heartfelt laugh at the end.

Miss Maggie was born in 1904 in Missouri, but grew up and lived most of her life in Joliet. Although blind, she lived in on her own in an apartment until 2004. A part-time caretaker would help her in the mornings, but after that she was on her own.

Described as “independent” by family members, she was active in her church and was proud of her work on the Mother Board there. Years ago she spent many Sunday hours at Mt. Zion.

“We’d go to church in the morning and come out in the evening,” she said.

On her birthday she was joined by her three grandchildren, Mitch Weithers, Karla Weithers and Michelle Weithers, all of Joliet. She also has three great-grandchildren, Ryauna Jelks, who attends college in Ohio, and Kayla Williams and Marcus Jones, both of Joliet.