Family, friends celebrate Illinois woman's 103rd birthday

Bertha Mayberry isn't sure what the secret to her 103 years of life is, but she said it probably has to do with "the good Lord."

More than 50 of her relatives turned out Wednesday night to help Bertha celebrate her birthday during her stay at Southeast Missouri Hospital. The last time the family threw her a large party was three years ago to honor her 100th birthday.

Many of those who attended Wednesday's party included some of Mayberry's 31 grandchildren, 63 great-grandchildren, 45 great-great-grandchildren and two great-great-great-grandchildren.

"It makes me really happy to see them here," she said, smiling in front of two large cakes and dozens of balloons.

Bertha, a lifetime resident of Jonesboro, Ill., recently broke her hip and underwent surgery at the hospital on Friday.

The bone break was her first major health problem, but it has been Bertha's hearing loss that has her more concerned, she said. These days, anyone having a conversation with her must speak into a microphone that feeds the amplified sound into her headphones.

Bertha married William Mayberry, a farmer and logger, in 1918, and the couple had seven sons and three daughters.

She spent her adult life as a homemaker, tending to her children's needs.

"With 10 kids, she didn't have much time for anything else," said granddaughter Glenda Mayberry.

Four of their sons have since died and William died in 1985.

Faith in God was always important to Bertha, who attended the same small country Pentecostal church all her life and kept her family involved in it, as well.

"Everybody in this room probably was raised in it for a while at one point or another," said Glenda Mayberry.

mwells@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 160