At age 95, Lowry still looks forward to riding at fair
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At 95, Lowry has only given up driving within the past year or so and has to rely on others to physically take her to the fair, but is emphatic that she’ll be among the thousands to transverse the grounds after the Warren County A&L Fair gets under way tomorrow.
Specifically, she makes it a point to ride the Ferris wheel and carousel each year in a tradition she has had ever since those rides were available. This year, she’ll do it again after the rides open Monday.
A couple of years ago, she wasn’t able to ride one of her favorites, the carousel.
“The year before last year, they told me old people couldn’t ride the merry-go-round. I told them, ‘Kiss my foot,'” she said. “But last year, the lady was just as nice as she could be.”
Her determination is understandable when one considers she comes from a determined family. Her parents immigrated from England, landing in New York with only $10 to their names. The family moved to Illinois and later Lowry’s father moved the Hutchings family from there to Tennessee.
Lowry, who has three great-great grandchildren, began attending the fair after moving in 1913 from Hartsville, Illinois. Their moved consisted of a winter train ride and staying for two nights at Short Mountain Road before moving to Hutchins Road in December, even though her father was looking to move West.
She said she remembers walking most places, taking buckets of eggs from Hutchins Road to Yager Road and getting around by horse and buggy and learning to drive a Model T Ford during her lifetime.
Later, after she married Randolph T. Lowry, the couple started a feed mill and later got into the laying hen business. It was hard work, and the fair was a time to relax and enjoy.
“I like to ride,” she said. “I always did.”
According to history provided by the current fair board, the first fair in Warren County was in October of 1859 near the river south of the old depot, was stalled by the Civil War, then revived in 1887 until 1880, then did not exist for 35 years.
The fair was revived in 1915 and held on the grounds of the old city grammar school or nearby, then moved to Red Road after the Warren County Fair Association was chartered in 1922 with an admission of 50 cents per family.
Lowry said she remembers attending all the fairs of her time. In 1954, the fair was chartered as a free fair. Lowry said paid admission or not, age notwithstanding, the fair is still fun to her.
“A couple of years ago, we took her to the man who guesses ages,” great granddaughter Shannon Ford said, proud of her great grandmother for being active despite her age. “We paid for them to guess her age and they guessed 76. She was 93 at that time.”
And while it’s a well-established Warren County tradition that people may only see each other once a year while at the fair, Lowry said her friends don’t attend anymore.
“This fella I used to go to church with used to ride the ponies, but I reckon he got too old,” she said.
Ford says she’ll be there.
“I think it’s great that whenever we go to the fair I have to practically run after her. She just goes and goes,” Ford said. “I get tickled seeing her ride that carousel.”