Dolly Kennedy Mitchell celebrated her 100th birthday on Saturday, July 27, in Oakdale at the Lions Club. Over 100 family, friends and members of her church attended the celebration.
Dolly’s birthday was July 8. She was born July 8, 1924, in the Beaver Creek Community to Judge and Mary Kennedy. She had six sisters and one brother. She is the only sibling still alive today. However, two of her siblings did live to 103 years of age.
Dolly married Henry Rufus Mitchell in 1945. Rufus died from a heart attack at the age of 52. The couple had two girls, Janet Mitchell Mallet and Sheila Philson, and three boys, Johnny Mitchell, Tommy Mitchell and Russell Mitchell. The boys are all deceased today.
She has nine grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren. At her birthday celebration, she met two great-grandchildren from Alabama she had never met in person. They were the grandchildren of her oldest son. The two drove from Alabama to the celebration to meet Dolly. Through the years, the family has used social media, telephone calls, etc. to keep in touch.
Dolly also had a niece from California and family members from Dallas, Galveston and Corpus Christie, Texas, travel to the celebration.
Henry worked as a truck driver for Newport Chemical Corporation in Oakdale. When Dolly’s children went to school, she decided to go to work too, despite Henry’s request that she stay at home. She worked as a housekeeper in town. She also taught Sunday School for over 50 years at the Rising Star Baptist Church. Janet said her mother began teaching Sunday School in 1953, when she was pregnant with her. She said she had to stop teaching a few years ago.
Today, Sheila Philson and her son, Rodrick Philson, live with Dolly.
Dolly’s normal days begin with getting up and dressing. She does use a walker during the morning, Janet said, because she feels weak. But as her day progresses, she puts the walker away. She still enjoys sitting at her table in the morning and drinking her coffee. She likes to watch a little television and sit outside.
At the celebration, Dolly enjoyed visiting, a birthday cake and lots of food served by her family. She also received the key to the city in honor of her 100th birthday. There was sparkling water to toast Dolly and moments from growing up in the area and raising a family.
Happy birthday Miss Dolly!