Fairhope woman who served during WW II celebrates 100th birthday
By Hal Scheurich
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FAIRHOPE, Alabama (WALA) — Fairhope’s Mary Kemp reached a milestone few do this week. She turned 100 years old on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. She waited until Wednesday to celebrate her birthday among friends at Thomas Hospital’s Wellness and Fitness Center.
She isn’t your average 100-year-old. You might say she’s never been average. As a young woman, Kemp defied the odds and was accepted into the US Army, barely making the weight cut. She joined in 1944 and served through the end of World War II in a clerical role, processing orders from around the world.
“I got in somehow, in with some classes and before you know it, I found myself in the Army and I said how nice it is and to this day, I love what I did because it counts for something,” Kemp said proudly.
Always on the move, exercise and competition have kept Kemp at the top of her game into her golden years. She lives with her son, Glenn in Fairhope. They just returned from the National Senior Games where Mary took the gold medal in the 50-meter dash in the 100-plus category.
“Wonderful,” Kemp responded when asked how it felt to win the gold. “Oh my gosh and I stop and think about it, how wonderful that was and appreciating something that I can’t do today because the legs won’t go. That’s the problem.”
The fact that Kemp was the only competitor in her division speaks volumes about her dedication to health and wellness. She definitely had a pep in her step during Wednesday’s jazzercise class. Kemp’s never been the type to take shortcuts and attributes reaching this milestone to hard work and healthy living.
When asked how it feels to turn 100, Kemp began rattling of a catchy song in her native Polish dialect with a telling smile on her face.
Mary Kemp has won gold at the last three National Senior Games and hopes to repeat this year in Pennsylvania. She was also presented a Key to the City today by Fairhope mayor, Shery Sullivan.
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