100th Birthdays Celebrated
Dorothy Edwards
Dorothy (Dorathea) Edwards celebrated her 100th birthday on August 18, 2010, with family, friends, neighbors and her church congregation.
Dorothy started her working career at the Linde Oxweld Acetylene plant in Newark, New Jersey, in the late 1930s. She moved on to the Union Carbide building in New York City in the early 1940s, where she continued to work until her retirement in 1975. Since her husband, John, passed away in 1999, she has lived in Gainsville, Florida, near her two sons, Don and Frank, and her two grandchildren.
After her birthday celebrations, she met with John Zoller, president of the Ocala Chapter of the Carbide Retiree Corps (CRC), who presented her with a Union Carbide fleece blanket and framed letters from Andrew Liveris, chairman and CEO of Dow, and Dave Clash, president of CRC.
To top off his visit, John and his wife, Lillian, invited Dorothy and Bill and Helen Glover (another UCC retiree who worked in the same area as Dorothy and lives in the same retirement residence) to a special luncheon.
Joe Logan
On October 13, 2010, Joe Logan celebrated his 100th birthday. Joe’s secret to a long life is keeping busy. He still helps with maintenance at the First United Presbyterian Church and continues to drive his car around the Upper Michigan area. He advises people to keep working and walking. After retirement he walked four and a half miles every day and continues to do the exercises his doctor gave him after open heart surgery.
His high school education ended after two years when the school burned down. He began employment with the Metals Division of Union Carbide in Sault St. Marie in 1933. He was soon promoted to foreman and completed college courses in management and electrical maintenance as well as completing his high school requirements. On March 3, 1934, he was married to Agnes Wilson and they had 74 years of a happy marriage.
In 1943, Joe joined the Navy and served as a machinist on a PT boat and participated in the invasion of the Marshall Islands. He subsequently returned to Union Carbide after the war and was transferred to the Marietta, Ohio, plant of the Metals Division until he retired in 1967. He moved back to the “Soo” where he worked at various jobs including two years at an atomic power plant.
Joe currently lives in Freighter View Assisted Living Community in Sault St. Marie, where his friends helped him celebrate his birthday. He was very pleased to be remembered by the Carbide Retiree Corps and read a congratulatory letter from Dow chairman and CEO Andrew Liveris to the assembled residents.
Robert “Lee” Sargent
Robert “Lee” Sargent celebrated his 100th birthday with friends and family on October 11, 2010.
Robert and his wife were married shortly before he served in the Army Air Corps (1942-1945), and they had eight children. After serving, Robert worked various jobs – mining, construction, lumberjacking – until he began working in 1950 for Electro Metallurgical Company, a division of Union Carbide, at Alloy. When he retired in 1972, he had earned the position of head tapper. Robert now lives in Fayette County, West Virginia, with his daughter, Linda Richmond.
Robert enjoys a good sense of humor, playing the fiddle and harmonica, and reciting poetry. He actually made his own fiddle and taught himself how to play it. He told his brother-in-law, Carl “Curly” Ramsey, to practice on it while he served in the Army. Ramsey went professional and played with legendary bluegrass duo The Stanley Brothers.
At the celebration, Ed Ballard, regional director of the Carbide Retiree Corps, presented Robert with a letter from Dow chairman and CEO Andrew Liveris and a blanket with the Union Carbide logo. Everyone enjoyed pizza, cake and stories. Robert even recited poetry and played the harmonica.
Walt Ranson
Walt Ranson celebrated his 100th birthday with 375 of his “closest friends” on December 26 at the Dunbar United Methodist Church in West Virginia.
This reception was the culmination of ceremonies recognizing Walt. Earlier in December the Dunbar City Council issued a proclamation and gave Walt a key to the city for his contributions as a council member. Walt recalled one of the “thorniest” problems was whether to allow residents to raise chickens in the city. He and another Carbide retiree, Howard Quick, were the subject of an editorial in the Charleston Gazette paying tribute to people who are seldom recognized for their contributions.
Family, friends and coworkers greeted Walt to share memories and renew relationships. The highlight was Ed Ballard’s presentation of the traditional CRC blanket to Walt, with letters of recognition from Dow chairman and CEO Andrew Liveris and Dave Clash, president of CRC. Denise Tucker of the Governor’s Office also read and presented Walt with a proclamation naming him a Distinguished Mountaineer.
Walt is still active in retiree activities and is a regular at the Oldtimers Club and the Teays Valley Chapter meetings. He enjoys eating and greeting with the retirees as well as spending time with his two children, Gwena and Harold, and his three grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.