Ask Lester Martin his secret for living to be 100 years old, and you won't get an answer like "eating well," "staying active" or "having good luck."

"Luck has nothing to do with it!" Lester said. "The fact that God is with me is what has kept me going. God has inspired me and given me direction lots of times. That's how I got to be 100!"

Lester marked his century birthday with a party on Saturday, July 26, at Mount Joy Country Homes, where he has resided since 2009.

More than 120 people were in attendance, including family members and friends who had traveled from as far away as California and Texas to celebrate.

Lester had insisted on no gifts, but his son Lyle crafted a box with a picture of the family's homestead on it and collected 100 cards. In a unique way to mark the occasion, Lester's daughter Wanda held up a sign that read "2025" before removing the first 2 on the sign and adding a decimal point. She challenged the room to decipher the significance of the new sign, now reading "0.025," in relation to Lester. Wanda then revealed the answer: only 2.5% of people in the United States live to be 100, and Lester is now a member of that special club.

Lester was born on July 27, 1925, and raised in a home that his parents, Emerson and Faye Martin, built on his grandfather's farm in Clarence Center, N.Y. He was the oldest of six sons and four daughters.

"One of the first things God did for me was to introduce me to my wife, Martha. She became my everything. Through her I got to know a builder. He was looking for some good Christian men to form a gang to build houses," Lester recalled, noting that the builder had hundreds of small houses to construct. "He took me on and introduced me to building, and I put everything I had into it."

Lester went on to start his own business, L.L. Martin Builders Inc. One of the custom homes he built was featured in an edition of "Builder Magazine," which was a real "feather in my cap," as Lester described in his memoir "My God and I," which was distributed to family members and friends in 2024. 

Lester and Martha married in 1947 when he was 22 years old. Together, they raised four children - two boys, Dick and Lyle, and two girls, Sandy and Wanda. Lester has eight grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.

After only two years of living in the custom home Lester built for Martha and himself to live out their lives, Martha passed away at age 72 from complications of Lou Gehrig's disease. There were "too many memories" to remain there, Lester recalled. He subsequently married his second wife, Faye, sold his home, and for a time they lived in her family's estate home in Elizabethtown. During this time, they bought a camper and enjoyed traveling around the country, mostly to California, to visit family. They eventually downsized and moved to Mount Joy Country Homes in 2009. Faye passed away in 2020.

When asked about his life, Lester emphasized two things: his proud Martin family heritage in Clarence Center, N.Y., and his father's integrity. He recalled a man once offering to pay cash upfront for a house Lester was building, trusting Lester solely because he knew his father's reputation and knew his son must also be an honest man.

Lester also recalled a powerful moment from his youth, lying on the lawn one Sunday and praying a heartfelt prayer. He asked God to guide his life and help him become someone with purpose. That day, he made a vow about how he would live and not live.

"I've kept that vow all my life," he shared. "This prayer has been a guiding factor for me."

Although he's now 100, Lester's not slowing down anytime soon. He enjoys woodworking, baking - including his famous homemade pies and cinnamon rolls - doing puzzles and playing cornhole. He plays almost every Monday with a group at Mount Joy Country Homes and still sinks the bag more than anyone else in the room. When he was younger, he enjoyed hunting, fishing and singing in men's choirs.

Celia Traverse, community manager of Messiah Lifeways at Mount Joy Country Homes, described Lester as a man of integrity, quick wit and a heart full of joy, who embodies the importance of treating others with Christ-like love in all that he does.

No matter whether he's regaling friends and family with stories or shining as a cornhole superstar, Lester always remembers the driving force in his life.

"My advice on how to live a long and happy life is very simple. God's got to be in your life," he said. "If you're going to step out and think you're going to live your life on your own, you are going to fail. I'll tell you that right now. He is the director of your life if you allow Him to."