At a time in her life when she could be sitting back and taking it easy, Trenton resident Marian McCarty said she finds more contentment in doing things for others, an attitude that has led to her being honored with the Trenton Area Chamber of Commerce?s ?Hall of Fame? Award.
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by Ronda Lickteig
R-T Staff Writer
At a time in her life when she could be sitting back and taking it easy, Trenton resident Marian McCarty said she finds more contentment in doing things for others, an attitude that has led to her being honored with the Trenton Area Chamber of Commerce?s ?Hall of Fame? Award.
After a teaching career that spanned 27 years, including 21 years in the Trenton R-9 School District, and operating a grocery store with her late husband, Howard, Mrs. McCarty attempted to slow down, but it didn?t last long.
?After I retired, I did a few pieces of handwork,? she said, ?but I wasn?t satisfied. I wanted to be doing something for someone else. I was more satisfied with myself by being out and doing things. And then after Howard was gone, I wanted to fill my days with other things.?
So, fill her days she has: teaching Sunday School at Wesley United Methodist Church, being active in the Grand River Garden Club, Grundy County Historical Society, Grundy County Retired Teacher?s Association, Grundy County Senior Center Board, Heritage Club, Riverside Country Club Bridge Group, Shakespeare-an Circle, Trenton High School Alumni Association, Trenton High School Foundation Trust, and being an active and honored member of the American Cancer Society, for which she has a special place in her heart.
?Being a cancer survivor, my work with the American Cancer Society has a special meaning to me,? she commented. ?I feel like I have walked in their (cancer victims?) shoes and so maybe I can help.?
Mrs. McCarty?s involvement with the ACS began in 1976 and in 1988 she received the prestigious ?Teresa Lasser Award for Outstanding Reach To Recovery Volunteer,? an award given to women who have successfully recovered from breast cancer surgery who provide support to others who undergo similar surgery. In 1991, she received the Missouri Division Distinguished Award and in 1993 received the Honorary Life Member Award from the Missouri Division, which is presented to individuals who have rendered outstanding service to the cancer field. In 1994, she received the St. George Medal, a national award recognizing individual work and outstanding contributions to cancer control.
?Marian has been an outstanding volunteer for our area and for the state due to her dedication, motivation and willingness to serve,? wrote ACS workers in Trenton in their nomination letter for Mrs. McCarty, whom they called ?a true model volunteer at heart.?
?She believed in what she did and enjoyed being involved in worthwhile causes. She has inspired many women to become Reach to Recovery volunteers on the local level as well as the state level. She has traveled countless miles across the state to conduct training sessions and initiate Reach to Recovery programs in several areas, as well as attend the state ACS annual meetings. She had the knack to encourage others to get involved in the Reach to Recovery program,? the letter states.
As she aged, she said, the Grundy County Senior Center became more important in her life. She has served on the board for the Retired Senior Volunteer Program and served Meals on Wheels, as well as assisting with dances and bingo.
Never one to watch a need go unfilled, Mrs. McCarty and her late husband, Howard, joined several others in helping establish the Trenton High School Foundation Trust, a board on which she continues to serve.
She became a member of the American Association of University Women, first in Kansas City, and later in Trenton. She has held every position in the organization, as well as devoting her time to seeing the restoration of the Haliburton Fountain and raising funds for the Sadie Yates Scholarship given to a female student at North Central Missouri College.
Mrs. McCarty?s list of involvements is extensive and, if one or two things had happened differently, she might have put her energies into improving a different community. She spent the years during World War II in Little Rock, AR, while Howard became a prisoner of war overseas in a German prison camp. When Howard was discharged from the service, Mrs. McCarty said he needed a little time to adjust and decide how he wanted to spend the rest of his life. What they decided they wanted to do was come back to Trenton and open McCarty?s Market, a family-run grocery store. The couple adopted their son, Edward, and Mrs. McCarty cared for him and served as a bookkeeper for the store. In the ensuing years, she?s been one busy woman, putting her energy into making Trenton a great place to live.
?I guess I?m just ?Trenton-proud?,? she said when asked what it is about Trenton that makes her most proud. ?I?m pleased to see the Plaza Hotel restored, and the junior college, well I?m so proud of that. I remember when it was on the third floor of the old high school, so it?s been amazing to see how it?s grown. It?s definitely one of Trenton?s pluses!
?As a widow, I feel safe here. I?m not afraid to get out and be involved. I feel like I can come and go without fear, and that?s not something you can say about some places,? she commented.
As for the future of Trenton, Mrs. McCarty said she feels confident that the area?s young people will step up to the challenge and continue making this a nice place to live.
?Shocked and humbled? by being chosen to receive the ?Hall of Fame? Award, Mrs. McCarty will be honored at the chamber?s annual meeting, scheduled for Monday night. The social hour begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Lakeview Restaurant, with dinner to be served at 7 p.m. No tickets will be sold at the door.