Maya McFadden Photo
Hawkins greets birthday celebrants at Mountain Valley Place.
Hildreth Hawkins revealed a secret Friday: “Home cooked food.”
That’s one of her secrets to leading a long and lively life.
Hawkins should know: She just turned 103 years old. And she’s going strong.
Hawkins, also known as “Mother Hawkins,” is a longtime member of Immanuel Missionary Baptist Church. Church members and friends joined her to celebrate her birthday Friday with a mostly drive-through outdoor gathering.
“I’m only 103 years young,” Hawkins said.
Hawkins was visited at the Mountain Valley Place Apartments after a year of not seeing her church family in person. She has not once missed dressing up for a virtual day of church, however.
Church member and friend Lois Pollard said she feels blessed to know Hawkins. “She’s the most beautiful living history I know,” she said.
Hawkins still participates in worship every Sunday, in Sunday school, and on church committees.
Celebrants sang two versions of happy birthday (including Stevie Wonders’) to Hawkins and said a prayer for her.
Hawkins lives by herself. She often gets help from friend and upstairs neighbor Sally Salde, 81.
Her favorite foods cooked by Salde are her baked hush puppies and smothered pork chops. Salde also delivers Hawkins and two other friends in the building a daily newspaper.
Salde met Hawkins at Immanuel Church years ago, but the two really formed their close friendship at the Valley Street apartment complex after bumping into each other daily in the elevator.
“I love her immediately because of her love for the lord,” Salde said. “We got to talking and never stopped.”
Salde plans to cook Hawkins a birthday sweet potato pudding, also one of her favorites.
Ola Sanders, 81, has called Hawkins her “aunt” for the past 50 years because Hawkins was close friend her mother, Lily Balard.
The group of church members Friday dropped off gifts, cards, and pink bouquets of flowers (her favorite color) to Hawkins outside of the building.
They described Hawkins as calm, thoughtful, appreciative, loving, lively, and a fashionista.
“If I had to crawl here I would have came,” Sanders said. “She’s such an inspiration.”