The Charlotte Observer from Charlotte, North Carolina • M2

2M Sunday, September 28, 2014 City News charlotteobserver.com/local CM NEWS STAFF Cliff Harrington Editor 704-358-6048 observer.com CONTRIBUTORS Charlene Price-Patterson Joe Habina Hope Yancey TO ADVERTISE Sheree Gibson Advertising Sales Manager 704-358-5919 observer.com CIRCULATION 800-532-5350 ONLINE Visit our website at: charlotteobserver.com/city How to reach us COMMUNITY NEWS Family and faith are the two most important things to Charlotte resi- dent Hester McCardell Ford, who turned 109 years old on Aug. 15. Ford said she credits God for her long life. thank him for she said recently. the good Lord does is Ford was born in 1905 in Lancas- ter County, S.C.

She married the late John Ford on March 12, 1921, at the age of 14, according to her granddaughter Mary Little. The Fords moved to Charlotte in 1953. The couple, who were married for 42 years, had 12 children: eight girls and four boys, Little said. Ford also raised her sister-in-law Mamie Lee Blair from early childhood. Four of children are alive, including youngest son Joe Ford, 69.

Ford still considers Joe her baby. daughters Daisy Davis, 80, and Hattie Thomas, 75, and her granddaughter Barbara Carelock, 65, take turns staying with Ford and making sure she has what she needs to stay in her own home. been very independent all of her Carelock said. Ford also has 51 grandchildren, 128 great grandchildren. Little, who lives in Buffalo, N.Y., researched her his- tory and found that she was born in 1905 rather than 1908 as previously thought.

The family celebrated birthday in Charlotte. Ford worked on a farm for years in Lancaster County then became a nanny when she moved to Char- lotte, Thomas said. Her daughters said one of the key moments in life was to see the first Afri- can-American president elected. Little said they attribute longevity to her strong faith. her spirit and her love for the she said.

belief inspires us all. so thankful to have her with us this long. We love her so ry Ford joined Macedonia Baptist Church in Charlotte, where she served on the missionary boar Though her declining health keeps her from attending church, For still faithfully watches services on TV, Carelock said. has a peaceful and bright aura about Little said. a remarkable Davis said Ford has brought jo to her life.

has been my mother, sister friend and Davis said. Carelock said Ford has been a spiritual guide to the whole famil taught us to always do good and love God with all of your she said. Amanda Harris is a freelance writer Have a story idea for Amanda? Email her at amanda.d.phipps@gmail.com. Charlotte Hester Ford celebrates 109th birthday Charlotte woman attributes her longevity to faith By Amanda Harris Correspondent Hester McCardell Ford turned 109 in August. your independent Trane Dealer for complete program eligibility, dates, details and restrictions.

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He also continues to keep a goal to learn. Nave recent- ly finished seminary train- ing in May at Gordon-Con- well Theological Seminary in Charlotte and received a degree in biblical studies. He now holds two undergraduate and two graduate degrees. He has been assisting a pastor at a Korean church in Charlotte. need something to stir you on, something to encourage you to reach for something you think you can reach for.

one of the reasons stayed in school to get the education I Nave said. just have thought I would ever have done that in my life. But one step at a He took the same ap- proach with running. started out Nave said. ran 1 mile a day Monday through Friday for about five A former swimmer and diver, health issues led him to consider jogging to im- prove his health.

What started out slowly grew quickly once he got started with a group of friends. we kept running and building the weekends up to 10 miles, we started talk- ing about Nave said. believe in the beginning that I could do this run a After running several 10K races 6.2 miles Nave be- gan working to improve his running times and eating habits. He was running 60-80 miles a week and ran his first marathon just after his 50th birthday. first (marathon) we went to was Oak Ridge, called The Smokey Mountain Nave said.

this was one that have that many peo- ple in it. We were actually running on farmland in the His wife, Carolyn, and late mother-in-law took water to hand out to him and the other runners, as there were no official water stations. Later that year, he ran the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. He con- tinued to run that race each year from 1983-1999, missing only one year due to a work trip to Maine. thoroughly enjoyed Washington, D.C., running that race, because the entire race you had people en- couraging you, little kids giving you bars of candy and playing all the way around, and of course, the sites around D.C.,” he said.

ran around the Penta- gon, the first eight miles across the Potomac. But always exciting to get to the halfway mark, which was around the Capitol build- ing. So you knew you ha half of it over and you wer heading Twenty-three marathons later, including Thunder Road, where he was a featured runner on their posters, he stopped running marathons at ag 77. But he stop run- ning. Health issues hav slowed him a little aft landing him in the hospit for a while.

He had started a weekly goal of 25 miles, about 1,300 miles a year, and is back out on the pav ment. Becknell Williams is a freelance writer. Have a story idea for Kim? Email her at The region 81-year-old runner keeping a good pace By Kim Becknell Williams Correspondent Nave.