By Ashley Thusius
Oakwood alumna Sarah Lee Merideth Lester celebrated her 100th birthday on March 24, 2021. The Huntsville resident was born to James and Annie Merideth in 1921 in LaGrange, Georgia, as the third of six children. In 1940, Lester graduated from Oakwood Junior College (now Oakwood University) with an Associate Degree in Education. She later went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in 1969 from Columbia Union College in Maryland. She was married in 1943 to Pastor Jethro Lester. A little more than a year later, they welcomed a daughter, Lillian. Lester retired from the public school system in Columbus, Ohio, as the Director of Adult Education. After the death of her husband of 49 years, she moved back to Huntsville, where she currently lives.