Keene resident Mable Bigham celebrates 104th birthday

Aug. 23—World War I began to wind down and global pandemic — sound familiar? — raged in 1918.

Elsewhere, Zenith Electronics was founded, movie goers laughed along to the antics of The Little Tramp in Charlie Chapin's "Shoulder Arms" and "A Dog's Life." Enrico Caruso's "Over There" topped the hit parade and Woodrow Wilson occupied the White House.

That same year, Mable Bigham was born in Sand Flat.

Surrounded by family, friends and well wishers, Bigham celebrated her 104th birthday on Aug. 12 at Town Hall Estates Nursing & Rehabilitation in Keene.

"She's quite a lady and in great shape," Keene Mayor Gary Heinrich said. "She's seen a lot of history and a living inspiration to us all."

Heinrich proclaimed Aug. 12 as Mable Bigham Day in Keene.

"Each new year memories are created and new friends are made," the proclamation reads. "Moreover, each year is a blessing to the celebrant as well as to their loved ones."

The standing room only crowd in Town Hall's activity room thought so certainly as evidenced by the more than 150 birthday cards and bevy of gifts, including a large-print Bible, they bestowed up on her.

Johnson County Judge Roger Harmon also proclaimed Aug. 12 as Mable Bigham Day countywide and the Keene Chamber of Commerce welcomed her as an honorary member.

Not to mention punch, birthday cake and treats galore.

"You deserve every bit of this," Town Hall Activities Director Leslie Martinez told Bigham. "It's your birthday so you've got to splurge on everything."

It seems like only yesterday, Martinez said, that Bigham was celebrating her 100th birthday at the center.

"Mable will have been here 10 years in January," Martinez said. "She's the oldest resident we have and, I think, the oldest we've ever had."

Martinez described Bigham as iconic and loved by all.

"She's got a very pleasant, happy attitude," Martinez said. "I've never seen her get upset, never seen her frown. She always has a smile on her face. Considering how much she's seen — pandemics, wars, just everything — she has the best outlook on everything. Just always smiles, always positive and the staff and residents love her. She calls the staff her grandchildren and we call her grandmother because we've become like family here."

Seated at her own table of honor, Bigham fielded a long line of birthday greetings.

"It feels okay," Bigham said of being 104. "As long as I don't hurt. I can't walk because of my legs and I have arthritis, but I get along."

Age hasn't slowed Bigham's determination, Martinez said.

"She's always out for our activities," Martinez said. "She does exercise. She wants to continue to walk we encourage that. Therapy will come in and help her stand and she'll still walk."

Exercise is nothing new for Bigham, said her granddaughter, Rhonda Jones.

"[Former TV exercise personality Jack Lalanne] was the key to her longevity," Jones said. "When I was growing up we would wake up to her do exercise to Jack Lalanne on TV every morning.

"We'd eat breakfast and walk around the block. Eat lunch then walk around the block. Eat dinner, we'd walk around the block.

"She still to this day exercises. She got upset today because she was getting her hair done and missed exercise."

Sadness enters Bigham's voice momentarily as she recalls her husband and three sons.

"I lost them all," Bigham said.

Nonetheless, many of her grandchildren and great grandchildren — Bigham has seven of each — were on hand Aug. 12 to celebrate her big day.

Bigham's grandchildren recalled games of dominoes with her and the constant presence of cherries and a jar filled with candy corn in her home.

Jones fondly recalled attending the Old Settler's Reunion in Alvarado every year with her grandparents.

"Summer time, when I'd go visit for a week, in the evening when it got dark we'd always take a blanket out to the backyard and just lay on it and look at the stars or talk," grandson Doug Bigham said.

Others remembered their grandfather working for the bus station in Cleburne.

Bigham said she worked all her life too at a sewing room in Cleburne, a restaurant and other jobs.

Born in Sand Flat, Bigham said her father moved the family to Florida for a short time when she was young but that she otherwise lived her life in Cleburne.

Bigham said she grew up on country & western and religious music and enjoyed religious movies such as "The Ten Commandments."

"Oh I guess I liked [former President Gerald Ford]," Bigham answered when asked her memories of presidents or historic events. "He was kind of country. To tell the truth though, I'm not very into presidents."