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				 Celebrations  are the way we mark milestones and achievements; they are also how we invest  value in those whose lives have given significance to our lives.   
On March 15,  2018, Mrs. Dorothy Williams’ family will celebrate the 100th  birthday of this remarkable lady.  In  this article, we will tell Mrs. Williams’ story but as we all know, a picture  is worth a thousand words.  Her portrait  tells us a great deal about this lovely lady.   Her countenance and smile are welcoming and they tell us how blessed her  family is to have known and been nurtured by Mrs. Williams.  
  
As we pause  for a moment to welcome Mrs. Williams into our hearts and minds, we are not  surprised to find that her family and friends have always affectionately called  her “Dear.”  There is no doubt in our  minds that this name perfectly described this “dear” lady.   Her full name is Dorothy Mae Graze  Williams.    Mrs. Williams was married to Mr. Roy Edward  Jones from 1937 to 1961.  “Dear” was  married to Mr. Emanuel Williams from 1963 until his death in 2000.   
Southeast  Texas Medical Associates, LLP delightfully joins in this celebration because  Mrs. Williams has been a part of our family for almost twenty years.   Her physician has been Dr. Syed Imtiaz  Anwar, a partner at SETMA where he serves as Medical Director and a member of  the Medical Executive Committee.   
Mrs.  Williams was born at a time and place where child birth was a family occasion  and not a medical condition. She was born at home to Mr. Johnnie Clifton and  Mrs. Chauncy Earle Hightower Graze on Simmons Street on March 15, 1918.  She grew up in Beaumont on Evans Street  across from Anthony Cemetery. 
“Dear”  (“May we call you that?”), was the fourth born of eight children.  She is the mother of five children, one of  whom is deceased.  She has eight  granddaughters, 18 great grandchildren and ten great great grandchildren with  another expected in May, 2018.  Can you  envision a gathering of this family to celebrate the heritage of “Dear,” and to  express thanksgiving for the blessing she has been and is to each member of the  family.   
In  1934, “Dear” graduated from Hebert High School.   That fact will mean little to many young  people but those of us who lived through the 1940s and had parents who were  contemporaries of Mrs. Williams know what an achievement that was at the height  of the Great Depression.  It is a credit  to “Dear” and to her parents that she completed her education at a time when  high school attendance was low and graduation for all students was very low.  What a remarkable family. 
  
“Dear”  is a Christian and a member of the St. John Missionary Baptist Church at 855  Sherman Street in Beaumont.  She is the oldest  and longest, actively serving member of the church having been a member for over  65 years.   Mrs. Williams is the Second Secretary  of the Missionary Society, member of the senior Sunday School class, Chair of  the Benevolent committee, member of the choir and former chair of the Deaconess  Board.  
Mrs.  Williams loves to crochet (making  slippers, afghans, tablecloths and clothing) and to sew.  She used to make most  of her own clothes, suits, robes and pajamas for her husband; and clothes for  her children, and granddaughters.  In her  lifetime the cycle of homemade clothes to store-bought clothes has returned to  the high value placed on hand-made garments. 
It is not surprising that “Dear” loved and collect  dolls.  When she was a child, her parents could not  afford to buy dolls so she always said that when she grew up she would have a  doll collection.  She now has 62 dolls.  Not surprisingly she has made clothes for them  and enjoys showing her collection to guests in her home.  
‘Dear”  also collects magnets and has over 600 of them. Four times a year, she takes  all of them off her refrigerator and freezer and cleans them. Then, she has fun  rearranging them as she puts them back in place.  
But all of this pales in the face of Mrs. Williams’  true passion which is her love of the Lord Jesus Christ.  She starts her day by studying the Bible  and reading her devotional.  She loves to  walk and until recently got up every morning and walked sixteen blocks every  Monday through Friday, just as the sun was rising.  She still walks up and down in her front or  back yard to get exercise.  
Mrs. Williams’ intellectual curiosity has led to a lifetime  learning habit and she loves to keep up with current events.  She watches CNN daily and enjoys the legal shows,  favorite being Judge Judy. 
   
  “Dear” loves to sing and is still a member of her Church  choir.   She loves to recite poetry and  has been asked to speak at her Church and high school class reunions on many  occasions. She has often commented, “Everybody gets a kick out it and so do I.”  
Mrs.  Williams loves to study  “Our Daily Bread” devotionals.  She loves  spiritual music and the hymns of the church. Some of her favorite hymns are: The  Old Ship of Zion, The Old Rugged Cross, Blessed Assurance, and Victory in  Jesus. 
A  celebration of Ms. Dorothy Williams’ birthday will take place at SETMA’s  College Street Clinic on March 22, 2018 at 12:30 – 2:00 PM.  Dr. Anwar, his staff and all of SETMA are  honored to have the opportunity to participate in this remarkable lady’s  special occasion.  Our lives have been  enriched by Mrs. Williams and we are grateful for her family allowing us to be  a part of her “big day.” 
Without  doubt, Mrs. Williams is worthy of the words of Proverbs 31:27-29:  “She looks well to the ways of her household,  and does not eat the bread of idleness.  Her children rise up and bless her; Her husband also, and he  praises her, saying:  Many daughters have done nobly, But you  excel them all.”  And so today, as we  celebrate her life, we bless her with this judgment of Solomon. 
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