On July 25, 2009, Nancy McCann, the oldest living resident of Boone County, became a Distinguished West Virginian. Surrounded by family, friends and fellow residents at the Meadow Brook Assistance With Living Facility at Camp Creek, McCann celebrated her 108th birthday. Eddie Belcher, of Gov. Manchin’s Office, presented McCann with the honor of being designated a Distinguished West Virginian. “I’ve been coming to celebrate Mrs. McCann’s birthday since she was 100 years old, and on behalf of the Governor, we would like to give God the Creator, from whom all blessings flow, the thanks for the many years that Mrs. McCann has been blessed with. “A lot of people help to care for her, but the bottom line is that God is the giver and taker of life and for that we give Him thanks,” Belcher said. Belcher said the Governor’s Office over the years had felt as though they were running out of things to give her for her birthday. “The Governor realized we hadn’t bestowed a Distinguished West Virginia on her and he asked me, ‘Why haven’t we?’ I told him, ‘I guess we’ve been waiting until she turned 108,’” Belcher said. “This is the highest honor that can be bestowed on a West Virginian,” he explained. In a soft voice, and with blue eyes brightly lit, McCann gave Belcher a “thank you.” “I hope you continue to be around for a few years,” he told her. “I hope so, too,” she replied. McCann has been a special resident at the Meadow Brook facility, sharing stories of her youth growing up in the hills of West Virginia with the staff and residents. “I remember her telling us stories about how she went to the outhouse and was chased around by a black bear,” staff member Debbie Huffman recalled. McCann continues to remain an inspiration to her community and family. “We’re the only ones living in her family,” son Lawrence Richmond, 84, said, introducing members of the family and sharing the names of McCann’s descendants. Nancy had four sisters, Snoma Ferrell, Florence Williams, Nora Jarrell, Holly Henderson, and had one brother, Sullivan Jarrell. She had three children, Mabel Meadows, who resides in Michigan, Carson Richmond, who was killed in World War II when he was 21 years old, and Lawrence Richmond, who resides at Twilight. “She has two granddaughters who live in Michigan and they have families and then I have two sons, Roger and Larry, and they have families,” Lawrence said. According to family, McCann grew up on farmland above Twilight and had been working in a garden up until she was 104 years old. McCann’s has told the nursing staff several stories of walking down the mountain to a one-room schoolhouse called the Bill Brown School. She has been married twice. Her first husband, the late Harvery Richmond, from Twilight, and the late Nelson McCann – both of whom were men of faith. Richmond was a preacher and McCann a Bible teacher. Through the years, Nancy McCann has continued attending the Church of Christ at Matts Creek. Though not a member of their congregation, the Bible Baptist Church in Danville recognized McCann for her longevity. Pastor John Barker said one of the nurses who worked at Meadow Brook, Marsha Hess, told him of McCann’s birthday celebration and he and his wife wanted to help her celebrate her 108th birthday. The Coal Valley News is asking any of our readers who would like to send a birthday greeting to McCann, to send them to our office at: Coal Valley News, Attn: Nancy McCann Birthday, P.O. Box 508, Madison, WV 25130. We would like to present her with at least 108 birthday cards from readers to honor her in this special year.