By Susie A. Wolfe
A celebration for Mary Alice Hydrick’s 101st birthday was held on December 9, 2025, at the Richland Senior Center, with her family in attendance. Pictured (l to r) are: Connie Roberts, daughter; LeiAnne Gray, Pax Hospice birthday party sponsor; Hydrick; Rebecca Kincaid, Pax Hospice; Stacey Williams, granddaughter; Addi Roberts, great granddaughter; Leonard Roberts, son-in-law; Stacey Roberts, daughter-in-law; and back row: James Roberts, grandson.
Mary Alice Hydrick’s 101st birthday celebration was held on December 9, 2025, at the Richland Senior Center with her family there supporting her.
At 101-years-old, Mary Alice Hydrick lives in the Florence house her parents bought in 1932. She graduated from Florence High School in 1942 and retired from BellSouth after forty-six years. She drives herself to senior activities in Florence, Richland and Pearl weekly.
Hydrick said, “God keeps me going. It can’t be anything but God!”
Hydrick has been a member of First Baptist Church in Florence since April 20, 1941. Byron Green, Music Minister, said that she is one of the oldest members there, but not the oldest. They also have another lady that is 104 years old.
Hydrick says she is very close to her family. She has one daughter, Connie (Leonard), of Madison. There are two grandchildren, Stacy Williams (Tad) and James Roberts (Stacy), and four great grandchildren, Knox and Nash Williams, and Addi and Lani Roberts.
Hydrick describes her weekly/monthly schedule like this: The first and third Mondays, she plays Five Crowns at the Richland Senior Center. The second Monday, she plays Pokeno. Tuesdays she plays cards in Richland.
The first and third Wednesdays, she plays Bunko in Florence, and the second Wednesday, she goes to the Methodist luncheon. The fourth Wednesday, she plays Bunko in Richland. Every Thursday, she works at the History Room in Florence. Every fourth Thursday, she attends the Baptist lunch in Florence. And the first Friday, she plays Bunko in Pearl.
She is the historian at the History Room for the City of Florence. In fact, it was renamed two years ago in her honor. It is now the Mary Alice Hydrick Heritage Room.
Hydrick collects and catalogues Florence news in the room every Thursday, gathering history and memorabilia from schools, churches, community groups and obituaries. Every news item – from Florence or about Florence natives – has been put in one of Hyrick’s binders.
Hydrick is walking Rankin County history. If you can catch up with her, she has great stories to tell.