Maryland-born Mary Hammett will celebrate her 100th birthday this Friday in Leonardtown. Ms. Hammett spent much of her life in service to others as a nurse. She attributes her longevity to eating wisely. (Submitted photo)
LEONARDTOWN, Md. (July 5, 2011) - On Friday, July 8, at 1:00 p.m., the residents and staff of Cedar Lane Senior Living Community will join in celebration of the 100th Birthday of Cedar Lane resident Mary Hammett.
Ms. Hammett was born in Ijamsville, Md. on July 8, 1911 in the manager's house of Price's Distillery. Her father was the manager of the distillery in Ijamsville which was shut down in 1919 due to the fact that all the grain was going to the war effort of WWI. At the age of eight, Hammett moved with her family to Morgantown, W.V. where she finished high school. After her father passed away while she was a senior in high school, her mother moved them to Pennsylvania to be closer to family. Hammett attended Allegheny College in Pittsburg and completed their nursing program in 1933. She passed the state board in Pennsylvania and moved to Washington D.C. Despite the depression she found a job at a hospital where she worked for 10 years.
Introduced by friends, Hammett married her husband David on July 15, 1938, in Washington D.C. She worked the day shift and took night calls in the operating room. She retired in 1945 because she couldn't find adequate child care. She said the hospital was supposed to set up a nursery but it never came to fruition. After daughters Suzanne and Elizabeth were born, the Hammett's moved back to St. Mary's County, David's home, where David was employed at the new Patuxent River Naval Base. Two sons, David, Jr. and Thomas were born to complete the family.
One of her fondest childhood memories is visiting the coal mine in Western Maryland which was owned by her grandfather and his brother. "You had to finish four years of school before you could go into the mine," said Ms. Hammett. Women were not allowed in the mines but Ms. Hammett was able to sneak in at the age of 10 by dressing as a young boy in overalls.
Hammett attributes her longevity to being a picky eater and said if she had to do it all over again, she would still become a nurse and would especially like to work in the operating room.
Cedar Lane Senior Living Community is located at 22680 Cedar Lane Court in Leonardtown and provides independent and assisted living to seniors and the disabled. For more information, phone 301-475-8966 or visit www.cedarlaneapts.com.