The secret to living to 100? “It’s no secret. I was just blessed by the Lord, and I guess a little hard work didn’t hurt either,” says Arbria Malone.

Athens resident Arbria Malone recently reached that milestone. She was born July 30, 1909, one of eight children, and is a lifelong resident of Athens.

Malone said, growing up in a large family, all of them worked around the house.

“We learned to milk cows, pull corn, pick beans, pluck chickens, pick cotton, and all that,” she said.

Malone, now widowed, had four daughters. Her two eldest daughters died in 1992. She said that was a very hard year for her, but the Lord saw her through. She is blessed to have two living daughters, Cassie Fraser and Rosie Turner, both of Athens.

Ballroom celebration

On Sunday, July 26, hundreds of people were on hand at Athens State Ballroom, including her immediate family, church family, extended family, friends and former employers to celebrate the joyous event.

An afternoon lunch was served with entrees of Lawler’s chicken and Apple Lane Farm Honey Baked Ham. Kimberly Essex, anchor of Channel 48 News in Huntsville was mistress of ceremonies for the occasion.

Several persons from Athens and the surrounding communities made special presentations, including:

• Proclamation and key to the city of Athens by Councilman Jimmy Gill;

• Song presentations by the Huntsville Police Blue Harmony, the Southside/A Cappella Singers and Joyce Pryor;

• Feature presentation by WHNT-Channel 19, and a card from Willard Scott of the NBC Today Show.

Other presentations from churches and the community included: Pastor Antoyne Green, New Life Church, Athens; Tammy Petty Rogers of St. Paul Catholic Church, Athens; Pastor Gregory Scott, Oak Grove Church, Athens; Pastor Troy Garner, Fellowship of Faith, Huntsville and Pastor Marvin Winston, Sweet Home Church, Athens.