I was born November 8, 1909 in Leslie, Georgia. My father had a farm and gave several acres of his land for the building of Mt. Zion Methodist Church there. I was blessed to have been raised in a Christian home.

We later moved to Albany where I met and married Harvey Fitzgerald in 1930. He was fortunate to be working for the Central of Georgia Railroad during those depression years but even then, life was hard. We had three daughters and one son; they have been good children and are in church most every Sunday. I have 12 grandchildren and lots of "great grands." Haven't I been blessed?

When my husband died in 1975 I felt my life was over. Some friends asked me to come to the Center and play the piano for singing after the devotionals. As I got more involved we even organized a signing group, "The Georgia Peach Singers." There were about twenty of us, we had some good times and were invited to sing at various civic clubs and churches in the area. I soon found out there was a new beginning in store for me as I met and married Virgil Taylor in 1984. In fact, we were married right there in the Center with all our family and SOWEGA friends present. Both of us enjoyed being involved in the Center activities. He died in 1987; again, my world was turned upside down. And, again, my friends at the center were there for me.

Our Director, Angelika Smith, Associate Director, Addie McIver, and some faithful volunteers, keep me busy and are always thinking about what they can do for us. We have exercise equipment, and area for reading and a place to sit and talk and visit with one another. We even have free blood pressure checks every week. We enjoy playing lots of great games and BINGO; if we have good dancing music, we dance; if we have good singing music, we sing. On Fridays we have an inspirational speaker followed by singing of old hymns that we love. Then, we thank the Lord for all our blessings, which includes the good, nourishing food we have for lunch.

At the end of our day at the center, we are all ready to go home for a good nap and look forward to the next day at the center.

What would we do without our SOWEGA Council on Aging Center?? It is a special place to relax, laugh and feel the love that is generated by all those who attend and those who are there to help us. It is a real blessing.

There are more memories I could talk and write about, but that would take too much time.

My advice to young people:

• Get a good education.
• Get in a good Bible teaching church.
• Be honest to self and others.
• Stay away from drugs and all the evils of the world.
• Help others that can't help themselves.
• Let me look at my own faults before I criticize others.
• Remember Love came from God.

Mary Taylor, 1949