Graham local turns 100: Family plans community drive-by birthday party for local woman
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Dorothy Maurine Davidson Pettus was born on May 7, 1920. She has seen Graham grow to become the city it is today. She graduated from Graham High School and worked at Davidson Motors for 53 years. (Contributed photo)
She never thought she would make it to 100, but on May 7 the longtime Graham resident will have reached that milestone.
Dorothy Maurine Davidson Pettus was born May 7, 1920 in Dallas. Her parents Leslie Laurence (L.L.) Davidson and Gertrude Maurine Gulledge, along with her sisters Martha and Alyce Marie, moved often as L.L. was a mechanic, car salesman and then car dealer.
“We lived in Fort Worth until I was about 5 or 6, then we moved to Ranger for 2 years, then to Breckenridge for 2 years, then to Graham for 6 years,” Maurine said. “Then my parents and sisters moved back to Breckenridge for 4 years but I stayed with Billie Lou’s (friend) family in order to graduate from Graham High School.”
Maurine’s father, L.L., started Davidson Auto Company in Graham, allowing her to attend Graham area schools, including Graham High School.
Maurine started driving when she was just 12 years old, and would go pick up her friends to go to church.
She remembers fondly of The National Theatre, where she spent many days with her friends Doris Corbin Gibson, Billie Lou Martin Mayes and Louise Street Witkowski.
As Maurine turns 100 in 2020, the country and world is battling COVID-19, so the big celebration her family was hoping for will not occur, but the community is invited to participate in a birthday drive-by on May 7 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m at 918 Calaveras St. The community is encouraged by the family to honk and wave as Maurine celebrates this momentous occasion.
For the full story, see the Wednesday, April 29 edition of The Graham Leader.
