Jennifer Moonsong
WCLU News Director
Last week proud American, and even prouder Barren County native, Margie Kinslow, celebrated a big milestone. She turned 100, and she has a few things to say about it.
Born Sept. 10, 1924, much has changed in the world in Margie’s time, but her enthusiasm for living is not one of them. As a natural-born social butterfly, whose outgoing and enthusiastic nature is infectious, Margie attributes her longevity to her love of life, and genetics.
“My mother Josie lived to be 101. Mother always said the old Dr. Botts delivered me. My parents married in the Fall in Tennessee, a lot of people ran away to Tennessee back then to marry, you could marry younger there,” Margie said.
Growing up in Beckton Community and later living in different locations in Glasgow and Barren County, Margie is proud to have spent most of her life in Barren County. However, she and her husband Earl, who were married 68 year, spent some time in Chicago and Lumberton, North Caroline.
“Earl wanted to go to Chicago to go to school to be an Xray tech. We lived there at the YMCA. Everyone who lives there was going into the medical field. After he graduated, he took a job in Lumberton, North Carolina, but once they built the TB Hospital here in Glasgow, we got to move back home,” Margie said.
Back in Glasgow, they had one daughter, Neva Ray, who became a teacher in the Glasgow School system. Neva married Lanny Miller and they had two children. Margie is also a proud great-grandmother.
Centenarian Margie Kinslow and her daughter Neva Ray.
Margie, who speaks of her late husband with great affection, says she wanted to marry on her birthday, but it was not possible.
“Well, Monday was wash day. Tuesday was iron day, and Wednesday was church. We got married on the thirteenth of September,” she said.
As far as her recollections of Glasgow and Barren County, they are many and extensive, spanning a century.
She knows Buch of the history of Bon Ayr and Beckton as her family hailed from there. Her grandfather was a tenant farmer who bought his first farm along what became known as Furlong Road. It was named after him. Her father worked as a gas station manager in the days of full service gas stations on South Green Street.
“Daddy worked for JH Mitchell in Glasgow. JH had two service stations, one in Glasgow and one in Cave City. Daddy ran the one on Glasgow, across from the Glasgow Baptist Church. I think it is an insurance Company now,” Margie said.
“Mother knew all the country roads, because she and Daddy had to go collect cold checks from people. She went with him so he didn’t do that alone,” she added.
Margie worked at the Standard Farm Store for a time, and at the scream counter and jewelry counter at JJ Newberry’s as a teenager.
“I still have that famous Mexican hamburger recipe!” Margie said. “Everyone came to Newbery’s to eat the Mexican hamburgers.”
Margie came to Glasgow for school, and completed all twelve years of her education at Liberty Street School. That’s where she met Earl and made many good memories. In addition to knowing the changing phases and stages of Glasgow and Barren, she knows much of the community’s colloquial history.
“One time when I was at school, we had a Maypole dance. That is something people don’t do any more, you never heard of anymore. I loved it,” she said. Another stand out memory for Margie is when the gypsies came to town.
“Mother and Daddy took me to see the gypsies. They had a camp at Pritchardsville. That is where there are many houses now, but not too many back then,” Margie said. It fascinated her, as she was then a girl of thirteen or fourteen.
Over the decades, Margie has seen many changes in the world and nation, as well as Glasgow. She is a proud supporter of Glasgow Mayor Henry Royse and speaks eagerly of the “good, good job” he is doing. Her door at the assisted living facility pays homage to her patriotism. It is covered in American flags.
“I love America. I love living in America and being American. I always find room for one more flag,” she said.
A naturally positive person, even Margie will admit some things in the world are not ideal.
“These shootings. All these shootings, now that’s a thing you never use to hear about. It needs to stop,” she said.
She also says many things have changed for the better.
“Today if you want to work you can get a job. There are jobs. And nobody has to go hungry. There are places that can help you, and help you get food, or help you get work. That wasn’t the case years ago. Lots of people could not find work, and could not get food,” Margie said.
Margie’s ideas on current social events and themes is not pontification; Margie reads 6 newspapers from across America from local to national each week and is thoroughly educated on current affairs. She watches a little television too, but not a lot.
“I don’t turn on the tv until after supper,” she said.
Earl passed away nine years ago, and since that time Margie has lived at Highland Ridge where participates in everything they offer and has a social network of friends.
“When I get one with the papers, I give them to my friend up the hall and she shares with me, too,” Margie said.
She attends Glasgow Baptist Church when she can, but always watches the sermon from her room. Her grandson-in-law is the pastor there, a thing she’s very proud of.
Margie sys if she were to give advice to the young, it would be to find and hone interests, tell the truth and go to church.
Margie’s daughter Neva Ray says that having mother like Margie has been a blessing.
“I didn’t notice it so much until l got out in the world. I went to college and came back and then really saw how Mom was, how interested she was. Truly and sincerely interested in everyone and everything around her,” Neva said. “My mother never met a stranger.”
At 100, Margie is still making plans and staying very “interested,”
“With the help of my family, I am going to write a book. It is going to be called “This and That” and it will be a collection of southern sayings. I have so many of them,” Margie said.
Margie received 400+ cards for her birthday, but would gladly read more. If you’d like to wish this Barren County Centenarian Happy Birthday, you can send a card to Highland Ridge Assisted Living.
Photos of Margie, Earl and Neva Ray hang above Margie’s bed.
Margie’s door is adorned in American flags.
