Dorothy's school visit shows she's 103-years-Young
Former church organist taps store of memories to tell pupils how things were
American history with personality. That’s what pupils at Buffalo’s Lorraine Elementary School were treated to Wednesday when 103-year-old Dorothy Young regaled them with remembrances of World War I and the Great Depression, her first refrigerator and television set and some advice on staying fit and mentally sharp.
Young said Theodore Roosevelt was her favorite president, that she was at a family dinner when the bombs fell on Pearl Harbor and that she was on the sober side of Prohibition.
“You had to have a password to get into a speakeasy,” she told eighth-graders who questioned her for a history project. “The most common one was: ‘Joe sent me.’ I was never allowed to do that.”
Growing up was different nearly 100 years ago.
“We had street cars, horses and carriages, if you can imagine that,” Young said. “We walked everywhere. Back and forth to school, back and forth to school. We didn’t have school buses.”
Good living had its benefits, as Young worked 67 years as a church organist before retiring at age 98.
“When I became 98, I resigned and said: ‘This is it. I’m on vacation now,’ ” she said. “What I do now is I go around with a younger crowd. They’re in their 80s. That’s the younger crowd.”
During a full hour of questioning, seven eighth-graders asked Young about her work, her family and her experiences during the world wars. Younger pupils sat on a carpet in the library and listened intently.
The pupils applauded for Young several times, and thanked her by dancing to a recorded version of the song “Tennessee Waltz.”
Young — who lived in Buffalo and the Town of Tonawanda and now resides in an assisted-living facility — showed the pupils her wedding and high school graduation photos, a two-cent postcard and a family quilt.
She urged the youngsters to study hard, be earnest and pull away from their television sets and computers to get out and play.
“You probably never heard of hopscotch, jumping rope, hide-and-seek,” Young said. “We had cousins by the dozens that lived right around us. You call it hanging out. We didn’t have a term like that then.”
Young’s visit was designed to give pupils a personal slant on history and to teach them to interview primary — or first-person— sources, said W. Charles Brandy, Buffalo’s director of social studies.
The conversation was taped for future use.
Young — who also visited the school when she was 100 — showed a remarkable aptitude for current events, but admitted that she’s baffled by advances in electronics.
“We went from simple to the electronic age we’re in now,” she said. “I can’t believe they could do anything more. But every day you turn around and there’s something new again.”
Her only unfavorable words were reserved for national politicians, who, she said, have yet to offer a coherent explanation for the economic meltdown.
“I hear this statement today and then another statement comes up,” she said. “It’s a political game. They talk out of both sides of their mouths. That’s an old lady’s opinion.”
A mischievous sense of humor was sprinkled throughout Young’s comments.
“That’s why they like me,” she joked. “Not because I’m so wonderful, but because my memory’s good.”
Log into MyBuffalo to post a comment
MyBuffalo is the new social network from Buffalo.com. Your MyBuffalo account lets you comment on and rate stories at buffalonews.com. You can also head over to mybuffalo.com to share your blog posts, stories, photos, and videos with the community. Join now or learn more.
Reader comments