Mrs. Dorothy Williams Celebrates Her 90th Birthday

  • The Grand Rapids Times
  • March 15th, 2019
Mrs. Dorothy Williams Celebrates Her 90th Birthday

Mrs. Dorothy Williams recently celebrated her 90th birthday at a celebration party, Sunday, March 10, 2019, hosted by family and friends.

Mrs. Dorothy is the mother of seven daughters and two sons. She said that she has "too many grand children and great - grand children to count". That means more than 40 grand children and "even more great grand children".

During the interview with The Grand Rapids Times, interview with family closeness was so evident and so was a strong bond of love as Mrs. Williams and her daughter Sarah Hampton spoke about the family.

"I appreciate the fact that we had parents who showed their love and taught us how to love," said Sarah. "If one of my siblings and I got into arguments or physical altercations, my mother would get the both of us because as brothers and sisters we were taught to love one another. That is why our family is so close."

She continued, "That is also why my mother had family members from five states come celebrate her 90th birthday with her. Not only did she instill that closeness in us, she also passed it down to her grand kids and to her great - grand kids."

Mrs. Dorothy Williams was born in Memphis, Tennessee on March 3, 1929. She grew up in Sikeston, Missouri where she completed school up to the eleventh grade. She did teach in the 1950's.

She valued education. She always wanted her children to have more education than she was able to achieve and she wanted them to have better opportunities to be successful than she had.

She moved to Grand Rapids in 1966 and worked as a House Keeper. At the time, she was married to Wes Jackson.

"The people I worked for would go out of town sometimes for a week and I would maintain the house and cater to students that they rented rooms out to," she said.

In the meantime, she would return home to take care of her children. "I had some nice kids," said Mrs. Williams. "They surprised me because they really didn't get into any trouble or anything. My baby son would from time to time get into trouble but he would get in trouble for not being apart of the trouble but because he would get into trouble just for being with the group."

Even after my mother and father were divorced, it was about eight years later when she married our step father, but my father stayed close and was always there when we needed him.

"I still remember when my mother went up to the Juvenile Detention Center with a switch, ready to punish my brother for getting into trouble," said Sarah. "Usually my mother punished the girls and my father disciplined the boys, but this situation was different."

Mrs. Williams went to get her son when he was being released from the center. "I was at the detention center with a switch. My son was begging the juvenile court officer not to let him go with me."

Mrs. Williams was an avid believer in spare the rod or spoil the child. During the interview, she spoke lovingly and humorously about disciplining her children.

"When my children deserved it, I got a switch and I tore their behinds up and then I told them that they were welcomed to call the police on me if they wanted to," she joked.

Mrs. Williams says that one of the most important things that she has taught her children is developing a relationship with God.

"When I was growing up, we would catch the bus on Sundays because we loved to go to church," said Williams. "I also made sure that my kids knew the Lord and they all still go to church. One Sunday I was at church and it made me feel so good to see my youngest son in church."

Mrs. Williams kept her children active in church. "I would put them in different programs, including the Easter programs where they had to say Easter speeches. I also remember hiding eggs for the children and watching them find them."

Sarah added, "When it came to Easter speeches, my mother would make us memorize and recite them to her from memory. Then, she would send us back to our room to memorize our speeches and present them to her again," Sarah added.

Mrs. Williams also took a lot of pride in her children and also talked about their achievements with her friends.

"My mother was always telling her friends about how smart I was because I was a bookworm. I remember her telling them about a picture that I had drawn and it really just made me try harder in school because I liked her telling her friends about me."

The Grand Rapids Times salutes Mrs. Dorothy Williams on celebrating her 90th birthday, may you continue to be a beacon of light to family, friends and community members.

Mrs. Dorothy Williams Celebrates Her 90th Birthday Mrs. Dorothy Williams Celebrates Her 90th Birthday

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