(PHOTOS) Kirkwood’s Thelma Favers celebrates 100th birthday
Dana Rose, on left, with assistance from Lindsey Smith presents the cake she made to Thelma Favers for her 100th birthday party on Saturday, Sept. 18. Photo by Dean Hesse.
By Dean Hesse, contributor
Atlanta, GA — Thelma Favers celebrated her 100th birthday on Saturday, Sept. 18, with family, friends and neighbors during a party at the Kirkwood home where she lives with her sister Carrie Cook. Carrie Salone, from Mother’s Legacy Foundation organized the celebration.
Seated at the table of honor with sister Carrie to her left and nephew Howard Harris on her right, Ms. Favers, wearing a crown and a sash that read 100 & Fabulous, said she just tries to do right by everyone and her advice for living a good life is “do what’s right, trust God and He will take care of you.”
Thelma Favers embraces long time family friend Maurice Peabody during her 100th birthday party on Saturday, Sept. 18. Photo by Dean Hesse.
Girl Scouts from Troop 17690 decorated the yard for the party, children sang “Happy Birthday: and Ms. Favers enjoyed showing some of her grandmother’s belongings from the 1800s and describing how they were used.
Food, decorations and support were provided by Greenleaf Foundation, La Calavera Pizza, Unearthing Farm & Market, Penny Patch and Kirkwood Neighbors Organization.
Atlanta City Councilmember Natalyn Archibong presents Thelma Favers with a Proclamation from City Council recognizing her as the newest Atlantan to join the centenarian club and congratulating her on her 100th birthday on Saturday, Sept. 18. Photo by Dean Hesse.
Atlanta City Councilmember Natalyn Archibong presented Ms. Favers with a Proclamation from City Council recognizing her as the newest Atlantan to join the centenarian club and congratulating her on her 100th birthday.
One of five children, Thelma Favers was born on Sept. 18, 1921, to Ophelia and Charlie Welch. Longevity runs in her family, her mother Ophelia lived to be 90 and her grandmother, a former slave lived to be 99 years old.
She grew up on a farm in Paulding County where she worked for a dollar a day sorting potatoes at a curing house and on local sweet potato farms. She also picked cotton.
The family was poor, but they had love and each other.
Ms. Favers recalls doing housework on Sycamore Street in Decatur. She would walk for miles daily, cleaning multiple houses along the way. The house she shares with her sister Carrie is filled with memories and some of their grandmother’s belongings from the 1800s such as smooth irons (used to iron clothes), meat grinders, ice tongs, milk jugs, a spittoon, cotton in a jar from the 1800s, Colgate Octagon bathing soap, a baby chicken feeder and a black pot used to boil clothes for washing.
Carrie Salone from Mother’s Legacy Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by Salone’s daughters, gives Thelma Favers a kiss during her 100th birthday party in Kirkwood on Saturday, Sept. 18. Salone has given Ms. Favers a party in the past and honored local matriarchs with a Hometown Country Cookout in 2015. Photo by Dean Hesse.
With Carrie Salone from Mother’s Legacy Foundation (L) and Kirkwood Neighbors Organization President Katie Kissel by her side, Thelma Favers said a few words to her family, friends and neighbors as the party ended. “You just have to tell it some time. You just have to trust God and He’ll surprise you. He’ll bless you. I tell you, just live for Him. He’ll bless you. I appreciate everyone one of you for celebrating with me on my 100th birthday. I hope God blesses each and every one of you. I love everybody. You’re supposed to love people regardless of whether you know them or not. And live right, that’s the main thing.” Photo by Dean Hesse.
Thelma Favers talks about her grandmother’s meat grinder and how it worked during her 100th birthday party on Saturday, Sept. 18. Photo by Dean Hesse.
Family friend Von (C.J. Williams) surprises Thelma Favers with a hug during her !00th birthday party on Saturday, Sept. 18. Ms. Favers and her sister Carrie were customers at Von’s grandmothers Williams Beauty Shop on College Avenue. Photo by Dean Hesse.
Thelma Favers with her sister Carrie Cook during Ms. Favors’ 100th birthday party at their Kirkwood home on Saturday, Sept. 18. Photo by Dean Hesse.
Billie and Rowan McDaniel give a card to Thelma Favers during her 100th birthday party in Kirkwood on Saturday, Sept. 18. Photo by Dean Hesse.
Thelma Favers talks about some of her grandmother’s belongings from the 1800s during her 100th birthday party in Kirkwood on Saturday, Sept. 18. Photo by Dean Hesse.
Family, friends and neighbors gather in Kirkwood to celebrate Thelma Favers’ 100th birthday on Saturday, Sept. 18. Photo by Dean Hesse.
Decorations at Thelma Favers 100th birthday party in Kirkwood on Saturday, Sept. 18. Photo by Dean Hesse.
A photograph of Thelma Favers on display during her 100th birthday party in Kirkwood on Saturday, Sept. 18. Photo by Dean Hesse.
A photograph of Thelma Favers with her mother Ophelia Welch sits in the foreground as she and her sister Carrie Cook watch the activity during Ms. Favers 100th birthday party in Kirkwood on Saturday, Sept. 18. Photo by Dean Hesse.
Thelma Favers said it was wonderful that her neighbors came out to celebrate her 100th birthday with her on Saturday, Sept. 18. Photo by Dean Hesse.
Carrie Salone looks on while sisters Penelope and Orion Bayalis give a card to Thelma Favers during her 100th birthday party in Kirkwood on Saturday, Sept. 18. Photo by Dean Hesse.
Thelma Favers with her nephew Howard Harris during her 100th birthday party in Kirkwood on Saturday, Sept. 18. Photo by Dean Hesse.
From left Carrie Salone from Mother’s Legacy Foundation, Thelma Favers, Mother’s Legacy Foundation volunteer and board member Lindsey Smith and Ms. Favors sister Carrie Cook. Photo by Dean Hesse.
Memorabilia and some of her grandmother’s belongings from the 1800s were on display during Thelma Favers’ 100th birthday party in Kirkwood on Saturday, Sept. 18. Photo by Dean Hesse.
Girl Scouts from Troop 17690 spent the day decorating the yard for Thelma Favers’ 100th birthday party in Kirkwood on Saturday, Sept. 18. Photo by Dean Hesse.
Thelma Favers, with her nephew Howard Harris looks at some decorations for her 100th birthday party in Kirkwood on Saturday, Sept. 18. Photo by Dean Hesse.
If you appreciate our work on this story, please become a paying supporter. For as little as $3 a month, you can help us keep you in the loop about your community. To become a supporter, click here.
Want Decaturish delivered to your inbox every day? Sign up for our free newsletter by clicking here.