| Forrest Hite remembers a century of change as he celebrates 101 years |
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Celebrating his 101st birthday December 9, Forrest Hite recalled the day he saw his father Henry’s Model-T Ford, the first car sold in his hometown of Huntington, West Virginia, and then he remembered the day a man walked on the moon.
During a century plus of living, Hite has experienced dramatic changes - the Great Depression, two world wars, the computer age. The one constant has been the railroad.
At age 16, Forrest began working for the Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Railroad, which was founded in Huntington to serve the burgeoning coal industry. He is proud that he stayed with C&O until his retirement 47 years later. It became almost a family business as his daughter Donna joined him there. Donna now lives in Shelby with her husband Herb so they can be near their son, Randy and his wife, Maggie, with whom Forrest lives now.
To help him celebrate his 101st year, participants at Life Enrichment Center Adult Day Service sang “Happy Birthday” as Forrest blew out candles on a cake decorated with a toy train. Bobby Smith, retired from First National Bank and an avid train enthusiast, shared railroad stories in a tribute to Forrest’s dedicated service. Smith said that the C&O was bought out to become part of the larger CSX system, which passes regularly through Cleveland County carrying coal from the hills of West Virginia.
As much as life changes, many things remain the same. West Virginia coal is still being transported by C&O, and Forrest Hite is still the dedicated, gentle man he has always been. He wears 101 years very well.
Forrest Hite celebrates his birthday at Life Enrichment Center Adult Day Service with, left to right, family friend Marcella Greene; Maggie and Randy Hutchinson, his grandson and wife; Herb and Donna Hutchinson, his daughter and son-in-law; and Bobby Smith, who presented a program on trains.
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