Dorothy Fernandez Midgett: Hatteras Island centenarian reflects on life well lived

Published 3:19 pm Thursday, January 23, 2025

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Hatteras Island resident Dorothy Fernandez Midgett became a centenarian last Thursday when she joined a select group of people who have reached the age of 100.

The daughter of immigrants from Spain, Dorothy grew up in Brooklyn, New York. In 1948 she married Percy Comer Midgett and together they raised four boys and a daughter born within a seven year span.

Along the way, the Midgetts lived in several different locations, including on New York’s Long Island; Germantown, Tennessee; Peoria, Illinois, and another New York State stint in the village of Baldwinsville.

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While her husband was busy working for Anheuser-Busch, Dorothy helped make ends meet by working at home for Publisher’s Clearing House at a time before working at home was popular.

Following Percy’s retirement in 1987, the couple moved to Hatteras Island where he grew up and settled in Frisco.

While satisfied with life in Frisco, Dorothy said her favorite house was the one in Peoria.

“It had lots of space and plenty of closets,” she explained. “And you could golf any time you want.”

“There were also no kids because none of us went with them,” chimed in her daughter Debbie Midgett with a smile.

As for golfing, it was a joint activity she shared with her husband before he passed away in 2018, as well as with their four sons.

“I started golfing at age 52 as something to do together with my husband,” added Dorothy. “We would often golf at Duck Woods, sometimes three or four times a week.”

Not one to just sit at home, in days past there was time also for bowling, garden club activities and a while as a Red Hatter in Hatteras. These days, however, her pace is a little slower after a fall that broke her leg.

“It was my first surgery ever at 99,” she said with a bit of a grin.

And while there may not have been a lot of family with her in Peoria, plans were made to have a large family gathering last weekend.

Although husband Percy passed away in 2018 and she lost her oldest and youngest sons Richard and Bruce to cancer, joining Dorothy at the Hatteras Civic Center will be her two remaining sons, Jim, who lives with her in Frisco, and Michael, who drove in from Tennessee. Also making the trip are two granddaughters, Sydney Midgett and Madison Whitley, along with Debbie.

Also on hand with a host of nieces and nephews were her 95-year-old brother Jose Fernandez and 85-year-old sister Josephine Vaquero.

Even with a subdued level of activity, Dorothy said ahead of the event that she planned to greet everyone at Saturday’s gathering and will likely get in a little dancing before the day was over.

According to a recent NPR report, the number of people living past a hundred in the U.S. has doubled over the past 20 years with roughly 108,000 seniors who are 100 years old or older in the United States.

Very much like breaking a sports record that has stood for decades, reaching a 100th birthday is a remarkable feat in life.

Surrounded by caring family members, Dorothy said she has no real secret to living so long.

She did say that one big difference she observed over the years has been the way people treat each other.

“In years past, people took care of and looked out for each other,” she commented. “Today it seems to be a more selfish world with people more concerned mostly about themselves.”

No surprise from a friend to everyone, and one who never had an enemy.

Her only advice to others is to pick your battles, don’t worry about the small stuff, and live one day at a time.

And when asked if she would change anything, it would be to spend more time with family.

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