Centenarians celebrate 100 together

A hundred years of memories is something to treasure and two longtime Pike County residents are both celebrating their 100th birthdays this August. Ruby Pasley Pitts and Helen Mangham have known each other since childhood and they attended the same Pike County schools together. They both attended each other’s 100th birthday celebrations as well. Ruby Pasley was born Aug. 11, 1915 at her parents’ home in Upson County. She was the oldest of four children and is the only one still living. She moved to Pike County as a young child, then moved several times – including spending a year away at Franklin Springs Institute (now Emmanuel College) before returning to Pike to marry the love of her life, Farris Isaiah Pitts, in July 1935. She had four children, two of whom share her birthday. She has 11 grandchildren, with six of them living in Pike and 28 great-grandchildren with 16 of them living in Pike. Mrs. Pitts worked at Carter’s and enjoys sewing and writing. She has hand sewn items for all of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In the centenarians’ lifetimes, they have seen many incredible inventions, including the development of electricity for homes, automobiles, television, cell phones and computers. Helen Mangham sent out a message via social media to her family and friends after her 100th birthday bash. ’I would like to thank all the people who came to my 100th birthday party. It was so good to see everyone and I was so thankful that you were there to help me celebrate 100 years,’ she said. ‘May God bless and be with each and every one of you.’Helen Mangham has lived in Lifsey Springs for 100 years and celebrated a century of loving life Aug. 2. She is the oldest of five children and they are being considered for a Guiness Book world record for the oldest combined age of living siblings. She has one son, three grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and 11 great-great grandchildren. She taught Sunday School for 40 years at her home church of Beulah Baptist, where she still attends.She remembers when Highway 109 through Lifsey Springs was paved and is like a history book overflowing with memories and facts about local families and places.