Marian McQuade was the founder of National Grandparents Day. 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

West Virginia

West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...

 on January 18, 1917.

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

Arch A. Moore, Jr.

Arch Alfred Moore, Jr. was the 28th and 30th Governor of West Virginia from 1969 until 1977 and from 1985 until 1989. He was a Congressman from 1957 until entering the governor's office. He is a member of the United States Republican Party. He ran for reelection in 1988, but was defeated by...

 proclaimed May 27, 1973, Grandparents Day.
In September 1978 the White House called her to inform her that President Carter

Jimmy Carter

James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...

 had signed a bill designating the Sunday after Labor Day

Labor Day

Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...

 as National Grandparents Day beginning in 1979.
In 1989 the United States Postal Service

United States Postal Service

The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...

 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, 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 population was 7,589 at the 2000 census...

 with her husband, Joe McQuade—a coal miner

Coal mining

The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...

--who preceded her in death, and remained in Oak Hill until her own death from heart failure on September 26, 2008 at the age of 91.

She was survived by her 15 children, 43 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren.

Marian McQuade Tribute

Singer/Songwriter Johnny Prill

Johnny Prill

Johnny Prill is a singer-songwriter, accordionist, record producer, publisher, and the author of “A Song for Grandma and Grandpa,” the official song of the U.S. National Grandparents Day holiday.-Early years:...

 from Bad Axe, Michigan wrote and recorded a tribute song honoring the founder of National Grandparents Day titled "Marian McQuade." Johnny is also the songwriter of the official grandparents day song "A Song for Grandma and Grandpa

A Song for Grandma and Grandpa

"A Song for Grandma and Grandpa" is a song written and recorded by singer-songwriter Johnny Prill.Lyrics:Chorus:Oh Grandma, Grandpa, you know that I love youI love all those little things that you say and do...

."

External links

• http://www.nationalgrandparentsday.com
• http://www.grandparents-day.com