Allendale County honors 106-year-old Jessie Mae Albany-Holland with parade, proclamation

Jessie Mae Albany-Holland’s 106 years have become a living record of Allendale County itself, from the faith that shaped her childhood to the neighbors, churches and public servants who still gather around her now. When family, friends and residents honored her with a parade and festivities in Fairfax, the celebration was about more than a birthday. It was a public acknowledgment of the role one longtime resident has played in the county’s memory and its sense of care.

The South Carolina House recognized that legacy a year earlier, adopting a resolution in March 2022 for her 105th birthday and identifying her as Allendale County’s oldest resident. Born March 30, 1917, she was the only child of Jessie Albany and Lena Gardner. Her roots were at Albany Plantation in Barton, South Carolina, and she was baptized at Nazarene Missionary Baptist Church before attending Fairfax Training School through the eighth grade.

Her life later stretched far beyond county lines. The resolution says she moved to Newark, New Jersey, attended Vailsburg High School and married Edward Holland. The couple had one daughter, Sarah Margaret, later Sarah Margaret Blake Carter, who died in 2010 at 74. Edward Holland drove trucks hauling fruits and vegetables from state to state, while Jessie Mae Holland worked for the U.S. Postal Service in Newark for more than 32 years. Even with that distance, her story remained tied to Allendale County.

By the time of the 2023 celebration, Albany-Holland had lived at John Edward Harter Nursing Center for just over a year. The nursing center is owned by Allendale County and operated under Allendale County Hospital, which says the facility is staffed by licensed nurses around the clock. Before moving there, she was known in town for her generosity, and Chief Marvin Williams, who had known her for more than a decade, said she was an inspiration to Fairfax and Allendale County.

The April 26, 2023 celebration brought together the Town of Fairfax Police Department, Allendale County Fire Department and EMS, the Allendale County Sheriff’s Office, Fairfax Town Council members, Fairfax Community Action, hospital staff, family, friends and neighbors. Mayor Dorothy Riley presented a proclamation naming the day Jessie Mae Albany Holland Day in Fairfax. Tiffany Forrester told her, “We just want you to know we love you,” and said it was an honor to celebrate her 106th birthday. In a county with 8,039 residents, Albany-Holland’s life stands as a reminder of how faith, family and public support can carry a community across generations.