By BRAD GASKINS / Staff Writer

COLUMBIANA – Margaret Eddings, who taught kindergarten in Montevallo for 40 years, celebrated her 102^nd birthday April 1.

Eddings enjoyed the occasion with friends and family who gathered for cake, refreshments and presents at Columbiana Health and Rehabilitation. Eddings, who wrote her own checks until age 100, has lived there for two years.

“It’s a lovely party,” Eddings said.

 

Family members said Eddings didn’t start referring to herself as “old” until her 100^th birthday.

Eddings was born April 1, 1909 in Bibb County, in the old mining town of Piper. She was one of eight children and has seven sisters. She attended classes at Alabama College, now the University of Montevallo.

Eddings taught kindergarten in Montevallo for 40 years. For a number of those years, she operated and taught at King Street Kiddie College.

Her late husband, O.G. Eddings Sr., died 15 years ago. The couple had two children: daughter Jenny Baker died six years ago; son O.G. Jr., a marine aviator, died in a test flight accident in 1961, according to Tommy Baker, Ms. Eddings’ oldest grandson.

Eddings has three living grandchildren, six living great-grandchildren and eight living great-great grandchildren.

Eddings’ youngest grandson, James Baker, said she always encourages people to strive and do well.

“She always had the ability to make me feel like she truly cared about me,” James Baker said.