[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 5 (Tuesday, January 15, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E5]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING DOROTHY BERRY OF SPRING HILL, FLORIDA

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GINNY BROWN-WAITE

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 15, 2008

  Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 
honor Dorothy Berry of Hernando County, Florida. Dorothy has done 
something that all of us strive to do, but that very few of us will 
ever accomplish, celebrate her 100th birthday.
  Dorothy was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, on September 29, 1906 
and is the oldest of five children. Married twice in her long life, her 
first husband was Thomas and her second husband was Trevor. She gave 
birth to three children, all of whom have now passed away. Dorothy says 
she feels blessed with her ten grandchildren, six great grandchildren 
and her one great, great grandchild, a girl.
  When asked what the fondest memories of her childhood were, Dorothy 
said ``everything,'' because she spent a lot of time with her 
grandmother, which was a great time. One particular childhood memory 
brought her into close contact with a U.S. President. She and her 
friends were playing in the street and they saw a bunch of people down 
by the waterfront. They went to see what the commotion was and saw that 
it was a man who seemed to be preaching to the people. After he 
finished preaching the man came up to them and gave each one a brand 
new buffalo nickel which had just been released. Dorothy spent her 
nickel at the candy store and when she got home she told her mother 
what had happened, and her mother said well that was President Teddy 
Roosevelt speaking.
  After attending school in Fords, New Jersey, Dorothy worked in 
different factories for a brief time and then became a homemaker. She 
said the happiest moment in her life was her marriage to her second 
husband Trevor, remembering that, ``He was a wonderful man!'' Dorothy 
also remembers in 1918 at the end of World War I everyone was 
celebrating in the streets. She said that, ``There was so much hugging 
and kissing going on, it was so exciting.''
  Although her eyesight and hearing are almost gone, Dorothy spends her 
days sitting and talking to God to give her strength. In fact, her best 
advice to young people today is to, ``sit down and read the Ten 
Commandments and obey them.'' While there is nothing that Dorothy would 
change or do over in her life, she would like to go back to her younger 
days. On vacations, she would visit Florida and had decided that when 
she retired she would retire on the Gulf Coast. Dorothy eventually 
moved to New Port Richey about thirty-five years ago and then moved to 
Hernando County in 1980.
  Madam Speaker, I ask that you join me in honoring Dorothy Berry for 
reaching her 100th birthday. I hope we all have the good fortune to 
live as long as her.

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