Area resident Irene Snyder celebrated her 105th birthday on Sept. 9, 2022. She was born on Sept. 9, 1917. Her family submitted the following notes about her life:
- Irene grew up on a self-sufficient family farm and had no electricity until 1948. The home place is now part of National Forest
- She is the oldest of 8 siblings, with four still living, including Irene
- She had long walks to school in the snow, including having to boat across the Greenbrier River
- When she was young she worked at the Sweet Shop in Lewisburg
- She married in 1941 and raised two children
- Longtime resident of Asbury, West Virginia
- Owned and ran the local general store and was Post Mistress in Asbury
- Traveled the world. Australia, Europe, Russia, New Zealand, Central America, South America, South Pacific and Mexico
- Lived through the time of 18 presidents, starting with Woodrow Wilson
- Lived through wars since WWI, horse and buggy travel, the depression, modern air travel, and men on the moon
- Has seen communications go from hanging white bed sheets to relatives across the valley when a baby came or help was needed, to crank phones, party lines, cell phones, email, and her existing voice to digital printout room phone
- She has a quirky sense of humor and still remembers her past entertaining everyone with her funny stories
- Her father survived the 1918 Spanish Flu when she was a baby and she has survived COVID twice
- She resides at the Seasons Place assisted living in Lewisburg and enjoys telephone calls and visitors
- Presently she enjoys Scrabble, corn hole, and bingo
- Regularly attends devotions and exercise classes
- She has written poetry and still writes letters and cards to those she loves
- She prays for worldwide love and peace
