HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY Mary George Kerola

Born: Dec. 25, 1904, in Feghal, Lebanon, to Gerges Abi Chahine and Shanine Abi Saab. She came to Youngstown in 1907 with her mother and sister. She moved to Sharon, Pa., in 1917, then to Buffalo, N.Y., in 1935. She returned to Youngstown in 1940, and moved to Hubbard in 1955, acting as her own contractor for the construction of her home at 335 Viola Ave., where she still resides.
Siblings: Thomas, Albert, Joseph and Rose, all deceased.
Spouse: Married Joseph John Kerola, on Feb. 24, 1927. He died in 1965.
Children: A son, John Joseph Kerola, who is deceased, and a daughter, Joann Kerola Knuth, with whom she now lives.
Grandchildren: Four.
Great-grandchildren: Seven.
Church affiliations: Attends services regularly at Queen of the Holy Rosary in Vienna and St. Patrick Church in Hubbard.
Career: Worked for the family business, George & amp; Thomas Cone Co. in Hermitage, Pa., now known as Joy Cone Co. and operated by her nephew, Joseph A. George. She also worked for many years in the original Isaly Dairy Store on State Street in Sharon; founded PI & amp;I Motor Express in Masury with her husband; and co-owned a neighborhood grocery store with her nephew, Thomas George, on LaClede Avenue in Youngstown.
Enjoys: Traveling; over the years she has visited every state except Alaska, and she still travels to her condo on Hutchinson Island at Jensen Beach, Fla., for the winters. She also enjoys reading, and she still cooks some family favorites. Until recently, she maintained her own two-acre yard, including rose and vegetable gardens.
Experiences: She reminds her friends and family that her life spans the days of the horse and buggy to landing a man on the moon. From Cocoa Beach in Florida, she watched John Glenn's space launch in 1962 and witnessed the Challenger disaster in 1986. She also attended Neil Armstrong's homecoming celebration in Wapakoneta in 1969. She has been interviewed by numerous authors and historians regarding her mother, who was a survivor of the Titanic disaster. She was a guest of honor at the Great Lakes Science Museum during the Titanic exhibit; at the close of the exhibit, author Janet White gave her the poster detailing her mother's experience.
Celebration: She is being honored today at Mass and a brunch at Queen of the Holy Rosary with family and friends.