by Bea Peterson
On Saturday, August 21, Marian Lohnes had a birthday party at the Hoosick Falls Fire House. Wearing a lovely dress and a corsage of yellow roses, she sat at a table of honor with her sister Laura Lohnes, who is a hundred and one. She greeted over 75 family and friends at the party. There were refreshments, balloons, cake, presents and a commendation from Rensselaer County and another from the Town of Hoosick. It was an exciting day for the centenarian and, according to her granddaughter Norma Cipperly, she really enjoyed it.
Marian’s actual birthday is August 24, and she had a much smaller party at the
Health Center with her sister on that date. The sisters lived together on their own in a house on Hill Road until they were 98 and 99. They moved to the Health Center together, then Marian chose to live with her granddaughter Lori Cipperly, though she misses her sister terribly.
Marian and her sisters, Viola Martin and Carolyn Young, now deceased, and Laura lived in Hoosick and in Colorado. They are the daughters of Alvah and Norma (Shaw) Webster. Marian graduated from Blanca, CO, high school and was Valedictorian of the Class of 1927. Harold Lohnes of Hoosick had traveled to Colorado where he met Marian. They were married on June 30, 1927. She was not quite 17 and fresh out of school. The couple, accompanied by Laura, drove back to Hoosick to live. In February 1928 Laura married Harold’s brother Carroll.
Harold and Marian were married for 72 years. He died in 1999. They had three sons, Alvah, now deceased, and Donald and Charles, who live in Colorado. She has 14 grandchildren (two are deceased), 40 great-grandchildren and 22 great-great-grandchildren. Her first great-great-great-grandchild is expected in October.
Marian’s life was that of a full time homemaker. She did considerable volunteer work and was a member of the Hoosick Fire Auxiliary for 60 years. She enjoys pinochle and used to crochet. Both she and Laura were well known for their baking and cooking. Marian was renowned for her delicious donuts.
She has told people that the secret to her longevity is three meals a day, on time. She also told them, “When you go to bed you always have to have a plan to do something the next day, whether it’s to bake a pie, play cards or fix lunch. It gives you a reason to wake up.”