John E. Hain Jr., a member of Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Little Rock, celebrated his 100th birthday March 20. A birthday party with his family and friends followed March 22. Hain is the oldest living alumnus of Catholic High School, having graduated at 16 years old. He joined the U.S. Army when he was 18 and served in England, Germany, France, Belgium and Holland in World War II. He married Beverly McGuire in 1947 and went to work at Krebs Brothers Supply Company as a traveling salesman. John and Beverly were married for 49 years until she died in 1996. After 50 years at Krebs Brothers, Hain retired as president of the company.
A lifetime Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus, he is known as a supreme story and joke-teller and for his fishing prowess.
At the end of the party, he offered his interpretation of the adage to “drink, steal and lie.” He advised to “open up your eyes and your ears and drink in more of the goodness in man and the beauty of nature around you. Steal a few extra minutes every day to enjoy the world you are in because it’s great. See the good part of it and enjoy it. Lie down at night and thank the Good Lord that you live in the greatest country in the world and get up the next day and see what you can do to make it better.”
Hain has five daughters, Terry Crow, Maria Hooper and Beverly Davies, all of Little Rock, Taffy Council of Benton, and Diana Ramsey of Vilonia; 17 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.
