'Surprised beyond words': Small parade greets community organizer Marcia Haynes on her 90th birthday

Marcia Haynes had gathered outside her Port Huron home with a small group of family members Monday.

A banner hung along the front, she wore a bright pink sash, and a small table with pieces of cake stood nearby. Suddenly, around the corner on Conger Street, a couple of police cars, a fire truck, and a trolley appeared — followed by a line of other cars, equaling more than a dozen total — and one by one, they got out to greet her.

The longtime civic leader and community organizer turned 90 on Monday. Shortly after the assembly line of friends and other community leaders left, Haynes said she was “surprised beyond words.”

“These have been my friends I’ve worked with on community projects,” she said. “But to be celebrated like this by friends and the community, I never expected anything like it. The things I do and have done in the community was just to make it a better place to live — not only for me but my family, children."

Mayor Pauline Repp was among the first in line, reading a certificate of appreciation aloud to declare it Marcia Haynes Day. Repp, who's known Haynes since the 1980s, said she was a “renown historian” who has dedicated her life to preservation.

Among Haynes’ more recent efforts included acting as president of the Friends of the Pere Marquette Railroad Bridge. Repp also noted her establishment of an Alzheimer’s research committee.

“Don’t cry!” Repp said, briefly interrupting her reading. When asked about the moment, the mayor later added, “It’s nice. It’s nice to celebrate. She deserves it.”

Several other community leaders greeted who Haynes included officials with St. Clair County Community Health, the county health department, and several business and law enforcement officers, among others.

“She was really happy, she was thrilled and she’s very thankful,” said Joyce Doyle, membership sales manager at the Blue Water Area Chamber of Commerce. “… She’s just ready to keep on going. We are so blessed to have her in our community.”

Developer Larry Jones initiated a round of singing happy birthday for the 90-year-old. Like Jones, Haynes owns a building in downtown Port Huron, and the two briefly discussed their love of preserving the district.

Making ‘a memory’ for the whole family

Port Huron City Manager James Freed said the idea to send a small parade to Haynes’ home to mark her 90th came from a conversation with some of her other close associates.

He said she is “a larger-than-life-figure in the community.”

“And every major civic group in town, she has touched in some way. Whether that be Rotary, whether that be helping — she's (may be) the only living founding member of the Port Huron Museums,” he said. “She founded a female civic leaders club. She was a business leader in the community. … She has a lot of friends, a lot of people she's worked with, a lot of people whose lives she's touched through her work in the community, who love her and know what impact she's had. A lot of stuff has been behind the scenes, and we just want to thank her for her service to our community and her friendship to our community. You’ll find no greater friend than Marcia Haynes.”

Haynes’ daughter Carol Krashen said it’d been a happy celebration.

“She loves Port Huron so much,” Krashen said, tearing up. “So, this is very emotional — the kindness of others has made this day a memory for her and the whole family. Port Huron has always been her passion for sure.”

Contact Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jackie20Smith.