Doreatha Gillis-Bishop celebrates 108th birthday

A lot has changed in 108 years, but Doreatha Gillis-Bishop’s love for God and family has never wavered.

The long-time Barnwell resident celebrated her 108th birthday on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022 with friends and family at her daughter’s home in Barnwell. Everyone enjoyed a delicious dinner and birthday cake. She was entertained with Christmas carols.

She is a member of Great Cypress Missionary Baptist Church of Barnwell where she is mother of the church and the oldest member. She is also the oldest member of Pride of Barnwell, Order of the Eastern Star, Chapter #77 (Prince Hall affiliation) in Barnwell, as well as the St. John Benevolent Society in Barnwell.

Bishop was born on Dec. 20, 1914 to the proud parents of Lucy Ellen Davis-Gillis and Daniel Alexander Gillis in Old Ellenton (Aiken County). She was so small at birth her father nicknamed her “Doll Baby”.

Her siblings called her “Kisser”. She was the eighth born of ten children. She is the only sibling living.

As a child growing up, she picked peas, beans, peaches, and cotton, and cut asparagus. She also watered the cows, mules, and hogs, and fed the chickens, guineas, ducks, and turkeys. She would bring in firewood and water for her mother to cook. They did not have running water, an indoor bathroom, or electric lights.

She attended Butler School, which was a small board school located on the same site it is today. The principal was Mr. James Butler. She walked five miles in the cold and rain to go to school. Her parents wanted their children to get a good education.

She married Blake Bishop Sr. on December 5, 1936. They had seven children: Richard, William, Annie Mae "Anne", Blake Jr., Willie Lee, Willie Mae, and Maryann. Richard, Blake Jr., and Willie Mae are deceased.

Blake and Doreatha worked very hard on the farm for many years until their children graduated from Butler High School. Some of the siblings left for better work in the north, some went to college, and some joined the military.

After they stopped farming, she worked at Barnwell County Nursing Home for many years as a nursing assistant.

When she was younger, Doreatha enjoyed cooking, gardening, making lye soap, quilting, canning vegetables, and entertaining her family that came down from Jersey City, N.J., Brooklyn, N.Y., Temple, Texas, Boston, Massachusetts, and Augusta, Ga. She loves cats and flowers. Her favorite color is blue. She loves mankind and believes in sharing. She believes in the finish work that Jesus Christ did at the cross for all mankind.

She still lives in the same home that she and her late husband built in 1963 on Turner Street in Barnwell. She reads The People-Sentinel newspaper every week.

Her motto: “Have faith in God. It is better to give than to receive. You can change your friends, but not your family.”