107 & Counting! – County’s Oldest Celebrates Another Birthday

La Grange’s Mary Lee Mewis turned 107 Sunday.

But Fayette County’s oldest living person didn’t have a party that day.

After all, the Astros are in the midst of a playoff race.

“The Astros are playing Sunday afternoon so we are going to have her party the day before, on Saturday,” said Mewis’ grand daughterin- law Stacie Karstedt, who lives next door to Mewis. “If the Astros were playing she wouldn’t pay attention to any of us at the party.”

Another year has passed for the amazing Mewis, and life is still pretty good – especially with her Astros as the reigning World Series champs.

“She’s still pretty happy,” Karstedt said.

Mewis still lives alone at her home on Highway 159 outside La Grange (where she’s been since 1947), though the family has hired Lupe Scott to watch her during the day.

“I still handle evenings and weekends,” Karstedt said.

Mewis, an native of Industry, still watches “Price is Right” every day, and reads the Austin American-Statesman and Fayette County Record newspapers regularly – without glasses.

In the past year she has given up reading her Danielle Steele novels, a hobby she used to love.

She uses a walker to get around in the morning because of dizzyness, but by the afternoons she’s walking around on her own.

“We’re looking forward to it being a little cooler so she can go outside,” Karstedt said.

For now she makes do looking out the windows, pointing out squirrels and a recent snake skin to Scott.

“She’s got better eyesight than I do,” Scott said.

Her appetite is still hearty and she eats a wide variety of things.

“And she always wants something sweet after meals,” Karstedt said.

Mewis, who worked as a hairstylist until she was 85, said the late Lillie Sulak (who lived to be 106) was one of her regular customers.

Mewis is now a little hardof- hearing when it comes to strangers, but Karstedt has perfected the right tone for her to understand.

On Friday afternoon Karstedt brought along twomonth- old Hudson, who is Mewis’ great great grandson for a visit. Mewis even held the boy for a while.

“What’s your secret to living so long. You been exercising?” Karstedt asked Mewis.

“I don’t know. No, I haven’t been exercising,” Mewis said.

Mewis’ husband Delmus died in 1985, but she’s kept right on going.

A big part of Mewis’ secret to longevity is the care shown by her family. Karstedt is no stranger to taking care of people. She owns Dig-It Preschool, and Mewis used to be a cook there until she turned 95.

“I don’t want to go to a nursing home,” said Mewis, whose week-long stint a decade ago after a fall has been her only experience with assisted living. “We’re not going to take you to one,” Karstedt told her.