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Somers Woman to Turn 107 Years Old on St. Patrick’s Day

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Mae Collins turns 107 years old on St. Patrick's Day.
Mae Collins of Shenorock turns 107 years old on St. Patrick's Day.

The annual Northern Westchester/Putnam St. Patrick’s Day parade is an event the people both young and old look forward to every year. There will be few there who are older than Mae Collins, a 106-year-old Somers resident, who will be participating in the fun as a prelude to her 107th birthday, which fittingly is on St. Patrick’s Day.

Collins was born in Bohola, Co. Mayo, Ireland, March 17, 1905, the oldest of 10 children.  She currently resides in Shenorock.

At 17 years old, she boarded the ship “The Baltic,” and headed for the United States. It took her seven days to arrive in New York. She came through Ellis Island on Oct. 22, 1922.

She married Martin Collins, who was from Co. Limerick, Ireland, on Oct. 17, 1931, at St. Ignatius Loyola Church in Manhattan. Martin Collins died in 1989.

She has two children, Peg Heslin and Marty Collins, as well as eight grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.

Collins is a parishioner of St. John’s Parish in Mahopac.

When you are almost 107-years-old, people tend to ask you the secret to a long life.

“I have worked hard all my life,” said Collins. “I lead a regular life – get up at 8 a.m. and go to bed at 9 p.m. I eat meals at the proper times. I have a drink of rye and water every afternoon at 4 p.m. I don’t bear any ill will to anyone.”

On March 11, Collins will continue with a tradition she started 10 years ago. She will be in the Northern Westchester/Putnam St. Patrick’s Day parade in Mahopac.

The parade starts at the Mahopac Fire House on Route 6 in Mahopac and concludes at the Lake Plaza Shopping Center, where Kmart and Key Food Marketplace. Kickoff is at 2 p.m.

The proud Irish woman also attends the annual Emerald Association St. Patrick’s Dance held in Brewster.

Collins still resides at her home, with the assistance of her aide Gloria. Last year, she walked in the inaugural Relay for Life event in Patterson, as a 20-year breast cancer survivor.

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