By Nathan Prewett
For the Tribune
TRUSSVILLE — Born in the year 1918, Pauline Edgar spent much of her life in Coffee County in south Alabama. And now, 100 years to the day later, she resides at Sunrise Ridge Assisted Living in Trussville where friends and family celebrated her birthday today.
“Oh, it’s exciting. It makes me feel good. It makes me feel like people love me,” Edgar said when asked how she felt about her well-wishers. She said that the amount of support and activity at the center was overwhelming for her.
Edgar came to Trussville in July of 2017. In Coffee County she grew up in the town of New Brockton near Enterprise where she was the oldest of eight children. She remains one of three of the siblings living today.
Her father was a farmer for a portion of her childhood before he began selling chairs. Later he became a preacher until his death.
Edgar married when she was 16 to a man who also farmed but made most of his living as a crane operator until he passed away in 1972. Afterwards, she went to work as an inspector at a warehouse until her retirement. She lived with her sister before they both moved into assisted living centers in recent times.
She had two sons, with one who tragically passed away of cancer in 1991. She has four grandchildren and three step grandchildren. Her residence in Trussville brought her closer to a granddaughter who lives in Springville.
To mark the occasion today, a the day was dedicated to Edgar at Sunrise Ridge. Lunch was served in the dining hall where the walls were decorated with posters made by students from the Clay Summer Program at Clay Elementary. Each poster represented a decade in Edgar’s life and listed different historical facts and people.
Trussville Mayor Buddy Choat came to the celebration and read aloud a proclamation by Governor Kay Ivey regarding Edgar.
“This certificate is presented in your honor on your 100th birthday, celebrated on June 20, 2018,” the certificate read. “Your life experiences are a lesson for all. On behalf of the state of Alabama, congratulations and best wishes on your 100th birthday.”
Edgar accepted the certificate from Choat and briefly spoke, thanking her family and friends, as well as the assisted living staff for throwing the celebration.
“Maybe I’ll live to be 102,” she told the crowd.
Later in the day, local kids presented a “decade fashion show” in which different clothing and fashion trends over decades were shown. Edgar spent the day surrounded by friends, family and acquaintances congratulating her on reaching this point in her life that so few others do. And, of course, cake and presents.
See below for a gallery of the event.