Dorothy Belles celebrated her 100th birthday Oct. 31

Dorothy Belles celebrated her 100th birthday on Oct. 31 with children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren on hand to mark the milestone at Hennis Care Center of Bolivar, where she is a resident. Of a lifetime spanning a century, Belles said, “The Lord has been good to me. I’m doing good.”

She credits her longevity to having remained active and engaged, and she answers most questions with a small joke, still cracking wise at 100. “I always liked to stay active and busy,” she said.

The centenarian takes the changes that have occurred in the world during her lifetime since 1923 in stride. “So many things have changed,” she said. “People have changed. Well, all of life is about change. It has to change. It’s amazing the things that happen in life before you finally get another one.”

She previously worked for a time at J.C. Penney, where she said she mostly liked to ride the elevator. “I think I worked there before I was married, riding the elevator. ‘If you want to go up or you want to go down, you’d better behave or I’ll turn you down,’” she said, remembering her rhyme from that time and adding, “You’re asking me a lot of questions.”

Belles remembers her family had Fords when she was young. “My dad was a Ford man, not the old Fords, but the new ones. I think maybe there was a Plymouth at one time or another,” she said.

In raising her children, she said her fondest memories are of keeping them busy so they were happy. “They were good kids, three boys and a girl. I don’t think they were too bad. Three boys, that’s tough, you know? But they were always pretty good,” she said.

She said she had a good time with the birthday celebrations. “We had a wonderful time,” she said, turning to Beth Wade, unit manager at Hennis Care Center, who was assisting her. “How many were there, do you know?”

“Well, today, you had about 20 visitors,” Wade said. “But at your other party in Louisville the other day, there were more like 30 people.” This brought a smile to Belles’ face.

Asked if she’d been married, the twinkle in her eye renewed. “Not yet.” She turned again to Wade. “Am I married?”

“No,” Wade said. “Well, yes, she was.”

A followup question about children brought another jibe. “Why do you ask such a dumb question? I’m not married yet,” she said.

Then the question about where she might have worked brought this reply: “Why would I work? Didn’t I have a husband?” She clearly relished keeping her companions on their toes.

Wade reminded Belles of her four children. “Yes, I had four children with my first husband.”

Asked if she had any special memories of life at home as a youngster, she said, “My mom was a good cook. Everybody ate pretty much everything Mom made. I can’t remember anything specific.” She looked over her shoulder. “Hey Mom, where are you? Help me remember.”

Her day included an early visit from family, then a lunch shared with fellow Hennis residents. The facility was decorated in her honor, and there was a cake.

Wade said Belles remains alert and engaged with the world around her. “I’m still busy around here,” Belles said. “I guess I’m pretty fortunate.”