Marie Small celebrates 102 years

Marie Bacote Small, affectionately known as "Mack," celebrated her 102nd birthday on Saturday at her home with family and friends.

Born on March 10, 1917, in Lee County, she is the daughter of the late Spencer and Florence Bacote. She is the widow of Hallie Small, with whom she had five sons and one daughter. She has 23 grandchildren, 45 great-grandchildren, 44 great-great-grandchildren and a host of other children she reared and adopted from the neighborhood.

At a young age, Mack and Hallie moved to Washington, D.C., where she worked for Columbia Hospital for Women, until she returned to South Carolina to help her parents and siblings. She was a maid and nanny for the Tiller family of Mayesville and was later employed as a housekeeper and nanny for the Compton family of Sumter.

Mack is a lifelong member of Unionville AME Church of Mayesville.