Mary Bakos, a long time resident of Palmerton who now resides at The Village at Palmerton, celebrated her 94th birthday recently. She was born on Oct. 22, 1918.

She was one of six sisters who were very close knit. Their father passed away at the young age of 42, so the girls helped their mother with everything at home.

Mary remembers when her sister Goldie worked for Mrs. Haslum, an art teacher in Palmerton. Goldie arranged for Mary and their sister Erma to take lessons in painting with Mrs. Haslum. This would prove to be the sisters' bond.

Goldie and her husband would often go to sales to buy empty framed canvas for the sisters.

"Erma was the most creative person I ever knew," says Mary.

Mary, who prefers oil to watercolors, and has painted over 100 canvases in oil. Landscapes are her favorite subject. Many of her works grace the walls at The Village, where everyone is able to enjoy them.

Mary says all the sisters loved to dance, and that's where she found her husband. She met Steve when they were just kids, and later they would go to the dances on Saturday night at the Hungarian Club.

Mary worked at Bethlehem Steel as a chain girl during the war and later moved onto Western Electric, where she made many friends and stayed until retirement.

Among her fond memories are those of basement sales at Hess' Department Store, hunting for canvas at a good price, and spending her Saturdays with her sisters shopping in Allentown.

Today, she enjoys outings with her nephew and his wife.