AUGUST 2007
Mary Neely - 75 Years-Old
& Working Everyday

Work is no stranger to Mary Neely at Central Supply who does all the data entry for the Purchasing Department.  When she graduated high school on a Friday night, she started to work for the local phone company the following Monday morning.  The only break in her career was raising her two daughters, Kim, now 51 and Andra, 47.
                    
”After working at the phone company,” explains Mary, “I went to work at Druid City Hospital for a couple of years then worked at The University of Alabama.  Four years later I went to work at Central Foundry in Tuscaloosa where I stayed for 15 years.  I worked in purchasing at all of my jobs.”

Mary’s career at Jim Walter Resources was supposed to be temporary.  “I got a call from Sylvia Algee (Sylvia works in the CMO Engineering Department) asking me to fill in at JWR for Belinda Boozer who was off on maternity leave.  I used to work with Sylvia at Central Foundry and she had been after me for quite a while to work at JWR.  I told her no one wanted to hire a 50 year-old woman.  Anyway, I took the job and when Belinda came back there was an opening in the Purchasing Department.  I took that job and a year   (click photo for larger view)
 later my husband, Bedford passed away.  I was so glad to have a place to go after 31 years of marriage.”

”I worked at the Central Mining Office and at No. 5 Mine before retiring at age 65.  After a few years of retirement, I got a call to come back to JWR.  I was beginning to be bored at home so I decided to come back to work.  I thought it was for just a little while, that was six years ago.”

When anyone finds out Mary is 75 and still working, the first question is “why?”
”I enjoy being around people everyday,” Mary says.  I remarried many years after my first husband’s death and my current husband, J.D., is more of a homebody.  He was already retired when we got married and understands how active I have always been.  It’s a good match, he can do all the things he wants and working is what I want.  My job isn’t stressful and I love everyone I work with.  This job keeps my mind active and the extra money allows us to do a little traveling and to eat out when we want.”

One comment kept coming up from Mary’s co-workers – how do you stay looking so young?  “That’s not what I think when I look in the mirror,” says Mary laughing.  “I don’t have any secrets; it must be in my genes.  My grandmother lived to be in her 90s and my parents lived to be in their late 80s.  I don’t smoke or drink, I guess that makes me boring.  I go to bed at 10:00 PM and get up at 5:30 in the morning.  I try to eat a healthy diet and don’t eat much meat.  I think it’s important to stay in a good state of mind and think young.”

Looking back over her 75 years, Mary says the toughest part was the loss of her first husband.  “Both of our daughters had just graduated from college and we had all kinds of plans because we thought there could be some extra money now,” she says with tears welling up in her eyes.  “Bedford was only 56 years-old and I was having to start over.”

Mary’s most proud of her two grandsons, Samuel, 18 and Charles Bedford, 13, who was named after his grandfathers.  “I am very lucky to share so much in their lives,” Mary continues.  “Samuel works part-time and will be a senior at Northridge in the fall and Charles Bedford will be in the eighth grade.  I built a pool for them at my house and enjoy cooking big meals for the family on the weekend.  It seems Charles Bedford went from a boy of 12 to a man of 13 overnight!  He thinks he is already grown.”

Here are some comments Mary’s co-workers at Central Supply had to say about her: