W. Virginia woman gets cards from all 50 states for her 103rd birthday

"You know, it does my heart so much good to see this, and to know that not only the community [but] the whole state of West Virginia has rallied around her 103rd birthday," her son said.

by Jordan Massey and Sam Kirk | Feb. 14, 2024

Story at a glance

Pearl Lipscomb of Belington, W.Va. turned 103 on Tuesday.

To celebrate, the West Virginia care facility where she lives banded together to throw her a big party.

Staff members at the Tygart Valley Health and Rehabilitation worked to gather birthday cards for Lipscomb, and they scored more than 2,000, from all 50 states and several countries.

BELINGTON, W.Va. (WBOY) — Pearl Lipscomb turned 103 on Tuesday, and to celebrate, the West Virginia care facility where she lives banded together to throw her a big party.

Over the past few months, staff members at the Tygart Valley Health and Rehabilitation have been working to gather birthday cards with the goal of receiving at least one sent from every state.

“Slowly but surely, the cards started pouring in,” Lipscomb’s son, Randy Lipscomb, said at the birthday party Tuesday. By the end of January, more than 400 cards from 41 states had been received.

A few days before Pearl Lipscomb’s big party, the facility reached its goal, getting her a card from every state in the country. They also received cards from other countries, including Great Britain, Ireland and Israel. In total, Lipscomb received more than 2,000 cards, her son told Nexstar’s WBOY.

“You know, it does my heart so much good to see this, and to know that not only the community [but] the whole state of West Virginia has rallied around her 103rd birthday,” he said.

That wasn’t the only surprise the center had in store for Lipscomb.

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin sent a memorandum that was hand-addressed to not only Pearl Lipscomb, but all of the residents at the nursing home. The mayor of Belington, West Virginia, also showed up along with a representative to provide a birthday message on behalf of Gov. Jim Justice.

“It’s just a remarkable thing that the nursing home’s done for her,” Randy Lipscomb said.

Lipscomb said his mother, who was born on a sheep farm in 1921 in Dry Fork, West Virginia, volunteered in the community for more than 20 years, so this party was a way for the community to give back.

“Let’s always recognize our senior citizens, and she’s part of what’s known as the greatest generation,” he added. “She was, and people like her worked, raised kids, and did a pretty darn good job of taking care of the community.”