Mary R. Foster Family and friends, including Mayor Bob Coble, gathered at the Finlay House to help Mary R. Foster celebrate her 100th birthday May 23, 2009. Foster was born in Denmark, SC on May 26, 1909, and has always lived in South Carolina. In her early years as a teacher she taught in several different small towns in our state. She even dated one of her superintendents, the late United States Senator Strom Thurmond.

In 1949, Foster moved to Columbia and married Bernon Foster in 1950. She joined the Main Street United Methodist Church where she has been an active member for over 50 years. She still attends every meeting of the United Methodist Women at her church and was named the "United Methodist Woman of the Year" in 2008.

John Wrisley was the master of ceremonies at Foster's birthday party. He entertained the crowd with some interesting facts about the past 100 years. For example, President William Howard Taft had taken the oath of office only two months before Mary's birth, and a month before she was born Admiral Robert Peary reached the North Pole. The first commercial sale of an airplane was by Glenn Curtis in 1909 and Louis Bleriot of France became the first person to fly a plane across the English Channel. It took 37 minutes.

He noted that when Mary Foster was born the life expectancy was 47 years. She has more than doubled that in her lifetime. Women were not permitted to vote when she was born, and radio broadcasting had not yet been launched.

The number one song in America in May of 1909 was "Shine on Harvest Moon." Her birthday party guests sang the lyrics of this song to her in celebration.

"Shine on… shine on harvest moon, up in the sky.

I ain't had no lovin' since January, February, June and July.

Snow time ain't no time to stay outdoors and spoon.

Shine on… shine on harvest moon for me and my gal!"

Happy 100th Birthday, Mary Foster!