CYCLING CENTENARIAN At 101 and counting, widow's life is quite a ride

A horse-drawn carriage ride marked her 100th birthday last year.
THE VINDICATOR/ART AVAILABLE
By PETER H. MILLIKEN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Annie Hamilton celebrated her 101st birthday in an adventurous way that gave new meaning to living one's life to the fullest degree of happiness.
To mark the occasion, she went on a one-mile ride Thursday in the sidecar of a motorcycle driven by Bill Gadd, director of the Warren Harley Owner's Group.
Having never been on a motorcycle ride before, she smiled broadly and wore a leather motorcycle jacket and a red bandanna as she awaited the ride on the sunny but windy 45-degree afternoon.
After the ride, some 70 people gathered for her birthday party in the balloon-filled dining room of Washington Square Health Care Center, where she resides. In attendance were residents and staff of the center and about 20 friends and relatives.
A year ago, her 100th birthday was also celebrated with great fanfare, including a horse-drawn carriage ride through Courthouse Square and Perkins Park and a proclamation from Mayor Michael O'Brien.
At first, Hamilton said she didn't know the secret of her longevity, but with some prompting from bystanders, she smiled and said drinking two shots a day of whiskey might be a factor.
"Annie's a wonderful, fun-loving person," said Betty Bennett, the center's activity director.
"She knows the Lord. She loves the Lord," Bennett added.
Hamilton's sage advice for the rest of us is: "Treat people like you want to be treated."
Born Feb. 23, 1905, in Auburn, Ala., Hamilton has lived in Warren since 1919 and at Washington Square since May 2001. Her husband, James, is deceased, and she has no children.
She gets out
She attends religious services and enjoys live music and holiday events at the center, as well as trips to Mahoning Valley Scrappers baseball games and fishing trips to Mosquito Lake.
"She knows who comes and visits, and if you sit and talk with her and she gets to know you, she'll hold a good conversation with you," said her cousin, Leonard Franklin of Boardman.
"She loves company," said Janet Johnson, clinical director of Southern Care hospice of Austintown, which has been providing Hamilton with additional care and companionship since last May.
Johnson observed: "She enjoys life -- every minute of it."
milliken@vindy.com