[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11343]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            TRIBUTE TO MILDRED DAVIS OF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DENNIS MOORE

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 22, 2010

  Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a 
resident of Kansas' Third Congressional District who will shortly 
celebrate her hundredth birthday--a goal that many aspire to, but few 
achieve. Mildred Davis of Kansas City, Kansas, will celebrate her 
hundredth birthday on June 30th. I know that you and all House Members 
join with me in wishing Mildred Davis many happy returns of the day, 
and I am pleased to place in the Record a short biography of her, which 
was written by her friend, Joyce Dickens:

       Ava Mildred Finnie Davis was born June 30, 1910, to Lillie 
     Dedman Finnie and Lewis Finnie in Commerce, Texas. She was 
     the youngest of five children--three brothers and a sister. 
     Her parents and all brothers and sister have preceded her in 
     death. Though her given name is Ava, she soon became known to 
     all as Mildred.
       She accepted Christ at an early age and was united with the 
     New Hope Baptist Church of Greenville, Texas, before moving 
     to Kansas City, Kansas, and uniting with Olivet Institutional 
     Baptist Church where she has been a faithful and loyal member 
     and worker for over 50 years. She served dutifully in the 
     Women's Missionary Department, Baptist Training Union and the 
     Sunday School for many years. She has encouraged and 
     counseled many young people spiritually.
       Mildred attended prep school and two years of college at 
     Langston University in Langston, Oklahoma. In those days you 
     could teach school in Texas with two years of college and she 
     taught school at a small country school. She married Grady L. 
     Davis (now deceased) in Paris, Texas, and they moved to 
     Kansas City in the early 1940s. She worked at the old 
     munitions plant in the Fairfax Industrial District during the 
     war and after the war she began to work for well-to-do 
     families in Johnson County cleaning and cooking. They soon 
     discovered she was a superior cook and began to use her 
     skills in the kitchen for their entertaining. In 1945 she and 
     Grady bought their first home, at 615 Freeman Avenue, where 
     she resided for over 60 years. She was childless and when my 
     large family moved next door to her in 1954 she befriended me 
     and took me under her wings making me clothes and encouraging 
     me in my endeavors. I was only 12 years old and I loved going 
     next door where she would regale me with stories of her youth 
     and life. She was not only a fun person but also a wise 
     mentor.
       In the late 1950s Mildred began to work for the Internal 
     Revenue Service during tax season. Eventually she was hired 
     full time at the Social Security Administration where she 
     retired after over 20 years of service.
       She belonged to several community organizations including 
     the Turtle Hill Homeowners Association, which was organized 
     in her living room. This organization was instrumental in the 
     redevelopment of the Turtle Hill area, which now has many new 
     homes. She was also a long-time member of the now inactive 
     L'Esprit Social Club and when meetings were held in her home, 
     all members attended mainly because they knew the food and 
     company would be excellent.

  Mildred Davis is now a resident at Medicalodge Post Acute Care and 
continues to be loved and admired by many friends, associates and a 
foster daughter.

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