As her visitor was heading for his car, Marion reminded him to say, "Rabbit, Rabbit," first thing on the first of every month for good luck. When Marion was cleaning houses she also was on the town council and was appointed acting mayor for two weeks. "Thank God nothing happened," she said.

Photo: Bill Snead, LoudounExtra.com

The downstairs stairway in Marion's Hlllsboro home is decorated with old photos that include an aerial shot of the farm east of town that she and her husband, Berkley, used to own. A widow since 1987 Marion Virts has the distinction of being the oldest person in Hillsboro. "That's a title I'd like to have for a long time," she says.

Photo: Bill Snead, LoudounExtra.com

As Marion says, "Don't come up in the attic if you can read," because that's where she keeps her 900 copies of movie magazines, along with an assortment of other "attic stuff." Her favorite time to be there is in the spring when rain falls on her home's tin roof.

Photo: Bill Snead, LoudounExtra.com

The attic stairs are steep and narrow but like everything else in Marion's home, they're clean and tidy.

Photo: Bill Snead, LoudounExtra.com

Marion walks through the yard of her family home east of Hillsboro where she moved in 1928. She and her sisters used the white building in the background as their playhouse. Marion is now 85.

Photo: Bill Snead, LoudounExtra.com

As Marion says, her house is full of "stuff," some framed like this piece of needlework that reads, "I can't put a describe on it."

Photo: Bill Snead, LoudounExtra.com

Marion Virts on the side porch of her Hillsboro home watching her new neighbors clear some land to plant a garden.

Photo: Bill Snead, LoudounExtra.com

Marion Virts sits in the living room of her six-bedroom home in Hillsboro. "It's an old house, older than Jesus," she said. She was previously a member of the town council and served as water commissioner "until my hearing got too bad that I couldn't hear what was going on in the meetings."

Photo: Bill Snead, LoudounExtra.com

Bell's Palsy has partially paralyzed the right side of Marion Virts' face since 1997. "It was supposed to be gone in two weeks." she said. It makes it difficult for her to pronounce words that begin with W but barely slows her down. But she says she's not fond of being photographed.

Photo: Bill Snead, LoudounExtra.com

Marion visited her family homestead just a couple of miles from Hillsboro. Marion and her three sisters built a stone wall behind the house that is still standing. They hauled all of the rock in a one-wheeled cart.

Photo: Bill Snead, LoudounExtra.com

An aerial view of the farm Marion and her husband, Berkley, lived in for many years east of Hillsboro. It was the scene of square dances and neighborly gatherings. "I used to love putting up hay," Marion said.

Photo: Bill Snead, LoudounExtra.com

This framed sign sits outside one of the doors to Marion's house.

Photo: Bill Snead, LoudounExtra.com

"I love stuff," Marion said. "Everybody has to have some stuff, don't they?" Marion asked. This old pair of Raggedy Ann and Andy fill a child's chair in her front room.

Photo: Bill Snead, LoudounExtra.com

Marion is a big fan of the man in this framed photo, actor Paul Newman. This, along with the autographed photo of Kevin Costner, hangs in an upstairs bedroom. They were given to her as an 80th birthday present from Bobbie and Tom Wilkinson.

Photo: Bill Snead, LoudounExtra.com

An autographed photo of Kevin Costner inscribed to Marion Virts has a place on an upstairs wall in her Hillsboro home.

Photo: Bill Snead, LoudounExtra.com

A bedroom shelf holds framed photos of Clark Gable, Kevin Costner, Jean Harlow and other Hollywood stars whose movies Marion enjoys.

Photo: Bill Snead, LoudounExtra.com

This small portion of an upstairs bedroom wall is a tribute to Kevin Costner and Paul Newman, complete with autographed and inscribed photos of the pair.

Photo: Bill Snead, LoudounExtra.com

Rural pasture land is rapidly filling up with very expensive houses and small farms. Marion is standing in a pasture that was once in her family. When Marion's husband, Berk, became ill she sold their farm and bought her uncle's home in Hillsboro.

Photo: Bill Snead, LoudounExtra.com