LOWELL, Mich. — An Army veteran in Lowell marked a remarkable milestone this week, celebrating her 104th birthday surrounded by loved ones who traveled from across the country to honor her extraordinary life.
Mary Noe, who served as a nurse during World War II, celebrated the occasion Friday with friends and family.
"I feel honored. I mean, it was a great! It's a great feat to get that done," Noe said.
Noe spent her career as a nurse until retirement, studying at Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids before enlisting.
"When the Japanese hit us with all they had and sunk some of us, they sunk a lot of our ships. It made us all patriotic, we wanted to do something to help," Noe said.
Her military service in Oklahoma proved life-changing, as that's where she met her husband Clifford, with whom she shared more than 80 years of marriage.
"We met in the service, in the army. He was a master sergeant," Noe said.
Together, Clifford and Mary raised four children, and their family has continued to grow over the decades. When asked about her grandchildren, Noe laughed.
"Don't ask me. I have so many, I can't count them all," she said.
Despite her children living across the country, they always make the journey back home, especially on her birthday.
"Every year she goes, 'I wonder if I'm going to be here next year'," Mary's daughter Marcia Cutsinger said, "we just say, 'well, if you are, we're coming!'"
Mary's son Joel Noe, reflected on the significance of the milestone.
"How many people get to celebrate 104 years? She has a long history and a lot of things that's happened in her life," Joel said.
When asked about her secret to longevity, Noe credited her faith.
"What's my secret? Jesus led me all the way," she said.
Even at 104, Noe continues pursuing her favorite hobby – music, often singing hymns like "Amazing Grace" around her assisted living community.
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