Hall County man now country's oldest bowler

ATLANTA - A Hall County man is now recognized as the country&#39;s oldest bowler, following the death of Arthur Lee Shaver Jr. of Atlanta.<br> <br> Shaver took up bowling in 1924 to help pass cope with the long, dark winters of Alaska, where he was working as a government official. <br> <br> The Atlanta man continued the game throughout his life, becoming the oldest active league bowler in the country at 103. <br> <br> Shaver died Aug. 25 at a hospice in West Palm Beach, Fla., after suffering health complications from a stroke. He was 104. <br> <br> Last year, the American Bowling Congress notified Shaver that he was the oldest active sanctioned league bowler in the nation. In May 2001, Shaver teamed with a fellow Georgian, Bill Hargrove of Clermont, in the organization&#39;s championship tournament in Reno, Nev. <br> <br> ``It was amazing to see Art bowl; he knew how to deliver it,&#39;&#39; said Hargrove who, at 101, is now the oldest sanctioned league bowler. <br> <br> Shaver, a North Carolina native, was living in Juneau, Alaska in 1924 as an administrator with the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads and found few other recreational opportunities because of the winters. <br> <br> He settled in Atlanta in 1945 and retired 15 years later. <br> <br> That&#39;s when bowling became his principal pastime. <br> <br> Shaver was still winning senior titles at age 90 and credited the sport for much of his longevity. <br> <br> ``It&#39;s good exercise and I think it is what keeps me healthy through the years,&#39;&#39; he said in a 1997 interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ``It keeps my muscles in condition.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Shaver continued to bowl weekly until earlier this year. He never smoked and limited his alcohol consumption to a daily glass of white wine with dinner, said his daughter, Zelma Porter. <br> <br> Survivors include four daughters; a brother; eight grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; and 10 great-great grandchildren.