On September 17 Marion Lohnes received the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award. A ceremony in which over 200 people attended was held at the Temple Beth Emeth in Albany, NY. The ceremony honored 40 seniors who were at least 85 years of age or older and recognized their activities and accomplishments over their lifetime, such as family, work, civic, career, religious activities, volunteer and fund-raising efforts, caregiving and community involvement. The ceremony was organized by the Capitol District Senior Issues Forum. The Forum is an interfaith and community initiative of individuals and organizations brought together to identify issues and advocate for older seniors living in a variety of settings.
Marion was nominated by Kathy Bugbee, Director of the Hoosick Falls Senior Center. Marion is 98
years old and was raised in Blanca, CO. She was valedictorian of her high school class. At 17 she married Harold Lohnes and became a full time homemaker. She was married for almost 72 years. In Hoosick Falls, they had three sons – Alvah, Donald and Charles. Alvah recently passed away. Marion now has 14 living grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren and 22 great-great-grandchildren.
She has served as school tax collector, and she is a member of the Guild at All Saints Church in Hoosick and has been a member of the Hoosick Fire Auxiliary for 60 years.
At 98 she lives in her own home with her sister, Laura. She stays active cooking and baking, crocheting and sewing and plays pinochle at the Hoosick Falls Senior Center. Marion Lohnes has nurtured and loved her family and cared for everyone she has touched. She expresses and shows love for her family in all she does. If she could, she would feed the world. Sharing her wealth of knowledge, whether it be cooking, sewing, making her delicious donuts or her values of life, she is a wonderful, patient teacher to all. She has many friends and always looks for the good in people. She stays active in all she does.
Marion has always said that when you go to bed at night you should have a plan to do something the next day – bake a pie, play cards, fix lunch, etc. The secret to her longevity is three meals a day, on time! At 98 she is a truly remarkable woman and has touched the lives of everyone she has met.