advertisement

Huntley woman shares memories from 100 years of living

"I'm just one of the luckiest people you're ever going to meet today," said Kay Harlow of Huntley, cheerily marking 100 years of her life Tuesday.

Retired for 36 years, Harlow spends her spare time helping out at the Huntley Area Public Library, where she has volunteered since 2006.

Library employees and patrons threw a birthday celebration to mark the occasion. Harlow received a proclamation from Huntley Mayor Charles Sass and a birthday card from President Barack Obama congratulating her on the milestone.

"There's not much I can wish for because my life has given me more than I ever expected, by far," said Harlow after blowing out her candles. "I've known so many ups and downs."

Born in 1915 in the East Midlands town of Northampton, England, Harlow said she remembers so many things about World War I, but joked that she couldn't remember what she had for breakfast.

"I just never thought I'd get to this point," she said, adding, "but of course they say only the great die young."

Harlow's father left for the war just before she was born and returned three years later, after the armistice between the Allied forces and Germany was signed on Nov. 11, 1918 - commemorated today as Veterans Day.

During the war, her town became a makeshift hospital for the wounded while her mother cooked, washed, ironed and fed five soldiers, mostly doctors, who lived in her home, Harlow said.

Harlow got her first taste of chocolate offered to her by a wounded soldier.

"I liked that," she recalled fondly.

In May of 1920, Harlow's family emigrated to America just before her fifth birthday. She will never forget the 14 days she spent in steerage aboard the SS Carmania while crossing the North Atlantic Ocean.

"My father said the reason it was so rough was because we were dodging icebergs," said Harlow, noting passengers' fears after the ill-fated crossing only eight years before of the Titanic in which more than 1,500 passengers and crew members perished.

At 16, Harlow graduated high school in the middle of the Great Depression when jobs were hard to come by.

In 100 years, Harlow said she's done it all. She has worked as a waitress, a bomb maker during World War II, a Sunday school teacher, a youth camp counselor, a bed and breakfast host, and a civil servant for 25 years.

"I have learned through the years you never say no to something ... I won't say no until I try it," she said.

Her first presidential vote was for Franklin D. Roosevelt and last was for Obama, who was the only presidential candidate she voted for in a primary.

She has been married and divorced twice, and raised two daughters as a single mother. She now has nine biological, step- and adopted grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.

Harlow moved to Sun City-Huntley active adult community 16 years ago and loves it. "I had my first dishwasher (here)," she said.

She even passed her driving test at 97, but quit driving soon after getting a speeding ticket in Huntley, she laughed.

At first, Harlow wrapped books for the Huntley library. Now she puts items on hold for patrons.

She also helped pass out candy to children on Halloween.

"She loves seeing the kids," said Marilyn Powell, library head of circulation. "She has unbelievable handwriting. She never makes a mistake. We have volunteers who are half her age and can't be as precise as she is."

Harlow's favorite pastimes are watching "Law & Order SVU" episodes, playing Scrabble and word games on her iPad, and penning letters to family and friends.

As most of her friends have passed on, the people and the relationships she has made working at the Huntley library are what she cherishes the most.

"When you get to my age and you can't do a heck of a lot ... they treat me like one of the people," she said.

"It makes me feel like I'm still in a normal existence to some degree. Wherever I hang my hat, I'm home. Whatever is going on, I take part in it."

  Pamela Kampwerth reads a proclamation from Huntley Mayor Charles Sass to Kay Harlow, who turned 100 Tuesday. Harlow, a resident of Sun City-Huntley, spends some of her spare time as a volunteer at the Huntley Area Public Library. Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com
  Centenarian Kay Harlow, of Huntley, gets a hug from her daughter, Nancy Horney, also of Huntley, during a birthday party for her Tuesday at the Huntley Area Public Library. Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com
  Kay Harlow looks over a proclamation from Huntley Mayor Charles Sass Tuesday during her 100th birthday celebration at the Huntley Area Public Library where she volunteers. She started volunteering there in 2006 when she was 92. Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com
  Centenarian Kay Harlow, a resident of Sun City-Huntley, spends time talking to 2-year-old Everett Johnson of Gilberts during her birthday party Tuesday at the Huntley Area Public Library. Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com
  Kay Harlow, a resident of Sun City-Huntley, blows out the candles on a cake for her 100th birthday Tuesday at the Huntley Area Public Library. Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com
  Centenarian Kay Harlow shows a picture of her daughter's confirmation class of 1959 at the First Presbyterian Church of Jamaica, Queens, New York City. Bottom right is her late daughter, Barbara, and top left is Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Madhu Krishnamurthy/mkrishnamurthy@dailyherald.com
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.