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LIFE: The Great Challenge - by Royce B. McClure
- FIRST TO COMPLETE IN SOUTH CAROLINA, USA
- OLDEST PERSON TO FINISH THE PUZZLE SOLO (76 YRS.)
January 10, 2008
Mary Benjamin - Columbia, South Carolina, USA
Completion time approx. 6 months.
 Hi. My name is Steven Williams and I'd like to submit my grandmother, Mary Benjamin of Columbia, SC to your hall of fame for having completed the world's largest puzzle. She worked diligently and alone on the Herculean task and completed it in around six months, despite falling ill during that time and having to take a break.
Needless to say, we're all terribly proud of her accomplishment, and we'd love for your site to recognize her. From what I see, she's the first person in SC to complete the task, and also the oldest person to assemble the entire piece alone (she's 76). We appreciate your time, and look forward to seeing her listed with your other puzzle marathoners.
Many Thanks, Steven Williams
Mary Benjamin has been putting jigsaw puzzles together since she was 10 years old, and has
completed at least 100 puzzles to date, many of which are on display throughout her home.
Mary says, "You have to have patience and want to do it. I enjoy being alone and concentrating."
Everyone is talking about the 24,000-piece puzzle she has just put together. It's the world's largest called "Life: The Great Challenge!"
Mary spent six and half months assembling the huge puzzle, and she even battled on through flu for some of that time.
"I put it together in sections being an old pro."
In the process, she says her family got a little jealous.
"I think my husband got a little jealous too because he said I was taking away from his time. Now, I tell him you have all the time you want now."
That's because Mary says she won't do a puzzle of that magnitude again. "My health is not as good as it used to be and I have arthritis and high blood pressure, so I figure that's too much stress."
But she's not giving up on her hobby completely, she'll just stick to jigsaws that don't take up so much time and wall space in future!
 SEE THE TV NEWS COVERAGE
that Mary received for being
the world's oldest person to complete this puzzle.
(Be sure to click on the VIDEO REPORT.)
First Coast News
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