The Charles County Commissioners celebrated Margaret Mary Smith Upright‘s 106th birthday with a special citation.
Happy early birthday, Margaret!
Margaret was born at home to John Howard Smith and Blanche Soper Smith on Dec. 25, 1912. She grew up on Linwood Place, SW, Washington, D.C., with three brothers and one sister. As a child, she played on the Washington Monument Grounds. The Federal Government purchased the entire neighborhood and tore down all the homes and built the Department of Agriculture on the site. Around 1932, she married Ned L. Upright, who was 10 years her senior. In 1934, she gave birth to a son. He had a heart defect and the child only lived three days. In 1939, she gave birth to Ned L. Upright, Jr. and in 1944, she gave birth to Gerald Alan Upright. Margaret was a housewife until 1960, when Ned, Sr. passed away. Margaret became a telephone operator working on the old PBX boards that were common at the time. She was employed as a Relief Operator, filling in during illnesses and vacation times of permanent operators that used PBX telephone board systems. She later was hired by the Washington, D.C. National Guard and worked there until her retirement. She never drove a car, but always made it to work.
Margaret was the ultimate hostess. Her grandchildren always looked forward to her homemade chow mein, bowls of pretzels, candy sitting on the table, and a refreshing glass of ginger ale or root beer. Her family members described Margaret as, “a sweet, classy lady.”. She had a standing hair appointment every Friday to have her hair done, and always looked her best. Even now, when things aren’t always clear, she remains extremely pleasant and always has a smile and a compliment.
We are not sure what she credits her longevity to. Maybe, genetics, or walking, walking and more walking, or maybe the fact that she was known to eat horseradish on just about everything. Margaret has truly seen amazing changes throughout her 106 years.
