Elise Martin celebrated her 108th birthday this week. Looking back at a life that has spanned more than a century, the Palo Alto resident recalls her meeting with Barack Obama among her memorable highlights.
Born in Hartsville, S.C., on February 7, 1915, Mrs. Elise Jones Martin’s lifetime has spanned nineteen U.S. presidents, four major wars, and two pandemics. Mrs. Martin moved to Columbia from New Jersey to open a beauty salon in the 1930s, creating a legacy of entrepreneurship and community service. As a Waverley resident, she championed the value of safe, viable neighborhoods and led the Jones-McDonald Club, one of Columbia’s most successful neighborhood advocacy groups. Martin is the oldest member of the Bethel AME Church.