Family and friends of Fannie Clayton marked a very special occasion Wednesday afternoon.

The Meridian resident celebrated her 101st birthday at her home, Silverleaf Manor.

Mrs. Clayton is a retired Kemper County school teacher. Her family was also there for this milestone.

"When I was young, she used to hold my hand and walk to school," said Clayton's nephew Willie T. Carter. "We didn't have many buses but she saw to it that we had an education. She encouraged a lot of us to get an education. She's one reason I am what I am today, a college graduate. And she pushed all of us to get an education."

To give you an idea of how long Mrs. Clayton has been around, she was born when Teddy Roosevelt was president.