Mary Louise Kelley Jarvis
This year, Mary Louise Kelley Jarvis would be celebrating her 21st birthday...but she is actually 84.
Jarvis is a leap year baby. While she didn't enjoy being a leap year baby as a child, Jarvis comments that now since she is older, she has learned to have fun with it. “It's different because you don't see many [leap year babies],” said Jarvis.
Jarvis celebrated her birthday in March as a child but as an adult she has always celebrated her birthday on Feb. 28.
Jarvis was born to Monette Tadlock Kelley and Walter Ray Kelley in Hopewell, Fl. She lived in the Lovett area for many years and married Pasco Jarvis, son of Loretta Jarvis of Madison.
Currently, Jarvis and her husband live in Wellburn, Fl. Together they have three children: Lisa Laycock and Teresa Rogers, who are twins and Deborah Bann, who resides in Perry. In total, their three daughters gave the Jarvis couple 10 grandchildren.
Heather Marco
The outreach of the Madison Enterprise-Recorder and Madison County Carrier went global, when a woman from Ontario, Canada reached out to Greene Publishing, Inc. and requested to be included in the leap year baby section.
Heather Marco is celebrating her 14th birthday this year, despite the fact that she was born in 1960 (making her actual age to be 56).
Marco says she always enjoyed having her birthday on Leap Day. “It’s unique,” said Marco. “The only thing that always bothered me was having to explain it all the time to people when I signed up at the bank or something.”
Marco said that, as a child, she would always celebrate her birthday on Feb. 28 and then again on March 1, adding that the double celebration was part of her love for her unique birthday. “I don’t do that anymore,” said Marco.
Marco was born in Owen Sound, Ontario and now lives near Brantford, Ontario.
Marco stated that one of her favorite parts of her unique birthday, now that she is no longer celebrating it twice, is the prizes and gifts she gets.
“A lot of times, you can call into radio stations on your birthday and say you were born on Feb. 29 and they’ll give you prizes,” said Marco.
Another added bonus to her birthday is that a Canadian airline, West Jets, which was established on Feb. 29, 1996, offers flights to leap year babies on their birthday for only $16 to anywhere within Canadian borders and that oftentimes, Marco has gotten birthday deals on Feb. 29 at restaurants and stores.
“[The only downside] is you don’t get a birthday every year,” said Marco. “[But it is] the most unique birthday you can have!”
