Seasonal & Holidays
At 107, This West Orange Mom Has ‘A Wicked Sense Of Humor’
Patch and T-Mobile are partnering to shine a light on awesome moms in the West Orange area. Meet Carole Somerville Williams!
WEST ORANGE, NJ— Moms do so much for everyone around them. We try to celebrate them all year long, but Mother's Day is a perfect opportunity to shout it from the rooftops and post it on Patch: Mom rocks!
Here at Patch, we've launched an initiative to help recognize the awesome moms and mom figures in communities like yours.
This submission comes from Shou Shou Somerville Polhill who nominated Carole Somerville Williams of West Orange.
What makes your Mom extra special?
Carole just celebrated her 107th birthday on April 22. She came to West Orange in 2020, after living in Media, Pennsylvania most of her life.Prior to that she was living alone. She was raised initially by her grandmother, Annie Bethel, who was born enslaved.Her mother died in childbirth.
She married, and was widowed at the age of 27, with 4 boys and one daughter to raise. All four of her sons are now deceased. Three, within the last few years.
She attended Cheyney University and three of her children graduated from Cheyney. She is a lifetime member of the NAACP, was a long time civil rights and community activist and supporter. She was also the first parking enforcement officer, a crossing guard and housekeeper in Media. She was recently honored by the New jersey J Senate and Assembly and the Township of West Orange Council, as well as from President and Mrs Biden.
Why do you feel your mom deserves the spotlight?
Living in good health at 107 is an anomaly. She has a wicked sense of humor and sees the good in everyone she meets. I have never heard my mom say an unkind word about anyone or raise her voice. She still has a sharp mind and spirit and is a Danielle Steele literary fan. She reads almost every night. In part, she is an awesome woman, who has managed to survive obstacles and barriers throughout her entire life, and did it all without complaints.
Happy Mother's Day to Carole Somerville Williams, and thank you for all you do!
This content is brought to our community in partnership with T-Mobile.
Know an amazing mom? Nominate them here.
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