Woman marks 100th birthday

Lifelong Pottawatomie County resident Thelma Barnes will celebrate her 100th birthday with a party 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Tecumseh City Hall. Thelma’s daughters Jane Thomas and Sue McDaniel will sponsor the event. 
Thelma was born to Lex and Eula Grubbs Aug. 3, 1908, in Shawnee. 
She graduated from Shawnee High School in 1925.  She and Norman Mason were married in 1933 and they operated the Shawnee-Tecumseh Transportation Company until his death in 1948.
Thelma assumed management and continued the bus service until 1959. 
She and Norman had two daughters, Jane Kay and Sue Ann.  She has two sons-in-law, Garland Thomas and Gerald McDaniel; four grandchildren, Jay and Tracy Thomas, Katrina Cavalier and husband Dan, Mason McDaniel and fiancée Kassi Stacy; and three great-grandchildren, Blake Thomas, and Natalia and Joel Cavalier. 
Thelma married Rex Cleveland in 1953 and they enjoyed many years of traveling and family life.  After his death, she married Walter Barnes.  They were married 17 years and lived in Tecumseh. 
They traveled and enjoyed activities with their families until Mr. Barnes’ death in 2004.  They were active at Trinity United Methodist Church in Shawnee and Broadway United Methodist Church in Tecumseh, attending events at both. 
Barnes continues to live on her own in Tecumseh. 
 After organizing and leading the senior exercise class at the Tecumseh Senior Center for many years, she participates in the class that is led by a professional instructor. 
She continues to stay busy with church activities, walking, exercising, working crossword puzzles, reading and visiting with friends and family. 
Some of her past and present activities are  AARP and RSVP in Shawnee; charter member of the Shawnee High School Alumni Association; member, pianist and organist at Trinity for nearly 80 years (she still substitutes on occasion); and daily meals at the Tecumseh Senior Center where she has many friends.