Two centenarians were honored this week at the Carriage House-Mary Frances Stephens Arnold, who turned 101 on Sept. 21, and Katherine Muriel Coble, who turned 100, on June 9.
City Mayor Randy Carroll read a proclamation and presented the ladies keys to the City.
They grew up in hard times. They’ve seen famine, had WWII veteran husbands and rejoiced with the births of their children and grandchildren.
Here’s a little more about these gracious ladies.
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Mary Frances Stephens Arnold was born in Moore County on Sept. 21, 1924. She had a sister, Ruth Stephens King.
Mrs. Arnold moved to Bedford County in 1940, and has resided here the last 85 years. She married James Ray Arnold in 1942. They had been married 77 years, before he died at age 95 in 2019.
The couple had two children, James Ray Arnold Jr., (now deceased) and Linda Arnold Stimpson.
Mrs. Arnold only got to attend a year of high school because her father contracted tuberculosis. She had to go to work to help support her family.
She worked from age 16 at Empire Pencil, where she met her husband. She married James, right before her 18th birthday, and he went into WWII in January of 1943.
Her son was born in September 1943. After being on the front lines, James finally saw the baby for the first time 26 months later.
The Arnolds went on to make a great life together. Mrs. Arnold says that when she and her husband learned to tithe, finances got a lot better. That’s a lesson she’s glad she learned in life.
Mrs. Arnold worked hard, retiring after 40 years with Empire (Newell) as a floor supervisor in the tipping department.
She says that one of her greatest regrets is not finishing high school. She has also now lost much of her eyesight so she can’t read like she used to do.
She is the grandmother of 4 (1 deceased.) She has 9 great grandchildren.
Mrs. Arnold, now 101, is about to celebrate with New Bethel Baptist Church, where she’s been a life-long member, during their 170th anniversary. Mrs. Arnold plans to travel out Highway 64 West with her family and attend the event on Oct. 5th.
Her family will tell you that she’s the “glue that’s held everything together” all these years.
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Katherine Muriel Coble was born in Lincoln County on June 9, 1925 to Earl & Janie Moyers. They lived in her grandparents’ home in Delina. She was the fifth and last child. She had two sisters and two brothers.
The family moved to Texas but Katherine returned back to Tennessee at age 10. She attended Boonshill School, which is where she met her future husband Leonard Dalton Coble. When she turned 17, she married her sweetheart.
Together, they endured life and he was in the Navy during WWII. Their first son, Jerry, was born in 1942. Leonard returned home “safe and sound” and went to work for Western Union-a job he kept for 30 years.
Daughter Kathy was born in 1949. The family would move several times, eventually settling in Chattanooga.
Her son shares, “Mother was the epitome of the perfect homemaker. She kept an immaculate house and made the majority of Kathy’s clothes for many years.”
The family also notes that she always made cookies for every event, organization and for church.