BREWER – A special birthday parade was held in Brewer Thursday. Mary Pearson turned 100 years old and her family was not going to let the coronavirus stop the party.
A simple “Happy Birthday” song made the difference for this family as they got to sing it in person.
Many family members attended the party parade including two of Mary’s daughters.
“Her family is her family and they mean a lot to her and to not be able to hold her and go over and visit and talk to her, like Christine said, take her out, it’s hard,” Dorothy Gere (Pearson).
Mary Pearson was born in Yarmouth, ME during the United States Prohibition era of 1920.
She was one of seven children and after years away living in Connecticut and working in a wire mill, she moved back to Maine to be closer to her family.
Mary’s other daughter Christine Guy said, “being able to hug her and kiss her, we haven’t been able to do that since the pandemic started and it’s just very tough for us.”
For Dorothy’s husband, Leonard Gere, he came into the family later but Mary always treated him with love.
“She treats me like a king. I couldn’t ask for anything better, just a wonderful person,” said Leonard.
Mary was the first of the five generations of this family and when asked what’s planned for the next birthday party, her family’s response was, “She keeps threatening to live to 110, so I don’t know!”
The family said Mary is still as active as ever and they were so delighted to see her on her birthday.
