103-year-old Calhoun City woman honors her husband’s WWII sacrifice
CALHOUN CITY, MISS. (WCBI) – The courtyard of a Calhoun City nursing home was the setting for a surprise party celebrating Clemmie Brown’s 103 birthday.
The lifelong resident of Calhoun County didn’t hesitate when asked her secret to a long life.
“Love the Lord, and stay with Him, through bad times, as well as good times,” Brown said.
Clemmie has known her share of good and bad times over the past century.
Her husband, Wilbur, was wounded in action in Europe during World War Two.
His injuries were so severe his recovery and rehab took several years in Alabama.
Her memories are still vivid.
“It was a hard life, but so many people were going through it, felt like you had people with you, understanding what you were going through, but I prayed a lot, and tried to be brave,” Brown said.
Wilbur and Clemmie returned to Calhoun County, and their son served in Vietnam.
Wilbur passed away in 1981.
These days Clemmie shares her story and love of God and country whenever she has visitors, like students from the Webster County Homeschool Activism Hub.
They organized her surprise party and say it was a blessing to hear her stories firsthand.
“Unless those stories are written down or recorded, when they are gone, they are gone, so it’s time we just keep those stories alive so we can tell generations to come,” said Ginger Ford, president of the Webster County Homeschool Activism Hub.
“I think a lot of people don’t realize how good we have it, they talk bad about America, we need to study our history so we know what happened, what people had to go through to gain that freedom, make sure it doesn’t repeat itself and we don’t have to go through all of that over again,” said Ace White, with the Webster County Homeschool Activism Hub.
As the party was wrapping up, Miss Clemmie had a special message for the young people who planned her party.
“I appreciate these young people, I don’t know all of them, but I know I love them,” she said.
