CELEBRATING her 100th birthday on Christmas Day will be Mrs. Dorothy Jenkins.
Born in Newport, South Wales, she lived with her parents, three brothers and three sisters until her teens when she left home to go into service as a parlour maid at Place House, near St. Mawes, Cornwall.
There she met her husband Reginald. After they were married, Dorothy and Reginald went to live in Philadelphia, where Reginald worked as a linotype operator on the Philadelphia Inquirer Newspaper. However, they returned to Newport, as Dorothy was home sick.
She has three daughters Eileen and Mavis (living in Saundersfoot) and Beryl and a son William (living in Newport).
After her husband Reginald died, Dorothy went to live with her youngest daughter Mavis, who is now her carer, eventually moving to Saundersfoot where she has spent many happy years.
She is still interested in knitting, word searches and listening to talking books. She loved to attend Hebron Baptist Chapel in the past.
Dorothy has 11 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.
After consulting with specialists at Bancyfelin, earlier this week Dorothy was due to have a cataract operation on one eye.
As a woman who has everything and needs nothing, it was decided that everyone would all pay together for her to have this operation privately. What better 100th birthday present could you give, than giving someone sight once again.
Dorothy is so excited that she will be able to read all her Christmas and birthday cards once again. She is also looking forward to clearly seeing all her grandchildren's faces and her view of the sea from her chair, on a clear day.
Dorothy would like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.