Women's golf league celebrates member's upcoming 100th birthday

BRUNSWICK HILLS TWP. — Members of local women's golf league the Par-Tee Gals celebrated fellow member Anne Thomas' upcoming 100th birthday at the Cossett Creek Golf Course on Tuesday. Thomas was born on Sept. 10, 1923, on a small island on the west coast of Ireland. She had four sisters and three brothers, which she said was normal for the time. Her surviving family members live all over the world in places like the United States, England and Australia. As a young woman, she did farm work in Scotland during the summer. Later, she was in London around the time of World War II. Thomas said her uncle, who lived in the United States, encouraged her to come to America. "The war was over in 1945, but it's never over until about 10 years later," she said. "Everything was rationed so bad. You had to watch your rations. I would go without a slip rather than spend my ration coupons on a slip. It was very hard." Since 1948, Thomas has lived in Ohio. She said afterward she started her own family, getting married and having three daughters. Thomas started golfing because her husband made her do it, she said. She was not very good at it at first, but slowly caught on to how to play the game. "That's where we had all our trouble on the golf course, teaching me how to golf," she said. "I would hit the ball, and I would see something coming up. I'd look down, the ball was still there, but I hit dirt." Thomas has been a member of the Par-Tee Gals for at least 20 years. She said she likes golfing with them because they have always been a nice group of people to be around. "I can't beat some of the ladies golfing anymore, which I would love to," she said. Par-Tee Gals member Sunny Ledford described Thomas as someone who is often telling jokes and laughs easily. "Anne is a joy," she said. "We have all loved her since we joined the league." It was important for the group to celebrate Thomas' birthday because she reached a milestone that few people do, Ledford said. "Not many people are going to make it to 100, and (many will not be) golfing any more by the time they get there," she said. Outside of golf, Thomas said she spends her time bowling, playing cards and having tea with friends. "It's nice to go out in groups," Thomas said. "I think your pains and aches go away when you go out and meet people and sit and talk with them." Thomas said at close to 100, she does not feel very different than she did when she started entering old age, except she is a little slower. "We say she's our idol when we grow up," Ledford said. "We want to be just like her. She brings sunshine to us." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.