Marian McQuade (January 18, 1917 – September 26, 2008) was the founder of

National Grandparents Day Grandparents' Day or National Grandparents' Day is a secular holiday celebrated in various countries; it is celebrated to show the bond between grandparents and grandchildren. It occurs on various days of the year, either as one holiday or someti ...

. She served on the West Virginia Commission on Aging and the Nursing Home Licensing Board. For many years, she helped with the Past 80 Party, which was held annually in Richwood, WV. Jim Comstock, editor of 'The News Leader' and the West Virginia Hillbilly, originated the Past 80 Party. McQuade was born Marian Lucille Herndon in

Caperton, West Virginia Caperton is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community and coal town in Fayette County, West Virginia, Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. It was also known as Elen. The community has the name of Austin Caperton, a businessman i ...

on January 18, 1917. Like

Mother's Day Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the ...

founder

Anna Jarvis Anna Maria Jarvis (May 1, 1864 – November 24, 1948) was the founder of Mother's Day in the United States. Her mother had frequently expressed a desire for the establishment of such a holiday, and after her mother's death, Jarvis led the moveme ...

, she was a native West Virginian. Campaigning in West Virginia and later nationwide to set aside a day for grandparents, in 1973 West Virginia became the first state with a special day to honor grandparents when Governor Arch Moore proclaimed May 27, 1973, Grandparents Day. In September 1978, the White House called her to inform her that President

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...

had signed a bill designating the Sunday after

Labor Day Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United St ...

as National Grandparents Day beginning in 1979. In 1989, the

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...

issued a tenth anniversary commemorative envelope bearing the likeness of Marian McQuade in honor of National Grandparents Day. She later lived in

Oak Hill, West Virginia Oak Hill is a city in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States and is the primary city within the Oak Hill, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area. The micropolitan area is also included in the Beckley-Oak Hill, WV Combined Statistical Area. The ...

with her husband, Joe McQuade (1915–2001)—a member of Irish nobility - who preceded her in death, and remained in Oak Hill until her own death from

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, a ...

on September 26, 2008, at the age of 91. She was survived by her 15 children, 43 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren.

References

External links

website
1917 births 2008 deaths Activists from West Virginia Elder rights activists People from Fayette County, West Virginia 20th-century American women 21st-century American women {{US-activist-stub