C


Caroline Mitchell Howard LIVING HISTORY: — by Josh Becker — Columbus and the Chattahoochee Val-


ley is an area rich with history. Tere are roadside markers scattered far and wide that point out to the intrepid observer the truly extraordinary occasions in his- tory that have unfolded on these lands. Tere are monuments to the heroes who have called this place their home. Tere are museums dedicated to displaying our diverse heritage, our bravery in battle, our artistic visions. And we learn much from these markers, monuments and museums


JUNE 2013


when we take a moment to visit them; to reflect on the passage of time, our place in that passage and how precious a cargo each life is on this journey of our shared history. But we have in the midst of our com-


munity a repository of history unlike any other. It is not a brick and mortar gallery. There is no admission fee. There is no stuffy curator reciting arcane facts about artifacts in a hyperbolic chamber. No. Tis vast wealth is a woman. Her name is Caroline Mitchell Howard. She


Columbus and the Valley


lives in Fort Mitchell, Ala. And this July, she will be 104 years old. “That’s one thing they never tell you


about living to 103,” Miss Caroline says, pointing to a stack of photo albums stacked high on a table beside her antique parlor chair. “One day, you’re going to run out of room for all your stuff!” Her living room is, indeed, a treasure


trove, adorned with the jewelry of a hun- dred years—framed photos of a family tree grown tall and full like an oak; Bibles and


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photo by Ker-Fox Photography


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