Mazel Toy!
CARL WALD MAN
Special to The Jewish News
he works in the tiny kitchen
of her Country Court apart-
ment in Southfield, making
homemade chicken soup.
She cooks shoulder veal chops she
picked out at Dexter-Davison
Market. She bakes pies for her
grandchildren and does her own
apartment cleaning.
Mabel Rose Alvin and her cat
Missy Kitty live independently.
Mabel simply doesn't want to be a
burden on her children.
"I'm not ready for a nursing
home," says Mabel. "Those old peo-
ple wouldn't even know what I was
talking about," says the "young"
woman who turns 100 this month.
"And besides, the food isn't too good
either."
Born in Utica, N.Y., April 16,
1899, Mabel has seen much during
her astonishing lifetime. After corn-
ing to Detroit in 1923 to be with
her sister Ethel, Mabel went on a
blind date with Robert Alvin of
Pontiac, a shoe buyer at Chase's
Department Store. "It wasn't love at
first sight," Mabel giggles.
But as a woman who always knew
what she wanted, she told Robert on
New Year's Eve 1928, " If there's
enough for one, there's enough for
two." Just a month before the stock
market crash they were married at
Temple Jerico on Joy Road in
September 1929.
Robert opened a men's store in
S
mother I always remember," says
Jerry, "still reminding me each week
to bring her the TV guide and the
crossword puzzle. She amazes me
when she lets me know when I've
forgotten to return her pie plate."
Grandchildren Bill, Judy, Matt,
Lori and Rob listen in amazement
when Mabel tells stories. "Those
were the days of sitting on the caned
seats of the streetcar in my green
velvet coat in the 1920s, heading to
Washington Boulevard for lunch and
a stroll to Siegel's Department Store,
Fyfe's, and downtown Hudson's."
Great-grandchildren Michael, 8,
and Jessica, 4, love the humorous
stories, as well as eating her home-
made pies.
Mabel started to write poetry at
and has been able to capture
80,
age
Daughter-in-law Mitzi and great-grandchildren Jessica and Michael visit with
and share her memories dating back
Mabel Alvin.
to 1908.
Mabel's published words of
the 1950s for Jewish organizations at
Pontiac, where Mabel helped as his
wisdom
include, "It's better to tell
Congregation
B'nai
Moshe
on
No. 1 sales girl. A few years later,
the
truth
than lose a good night's
Dexter.
At
the
time,
she
made
her
the Depression forced them to close
sleep"
and
"A constant complainer is
own
costumes
and
played
parts
such
the store. They moved back to
"
as
Gracie
Fields
and
Uncle
Sam.
always
in
misery
Detroit, where Robert went to work
Although
she
never
learned to a
She
calls
those
years
her
"Show
for Detroit Edison in the architec-
drive
a
car,
Mabel
is
truly
a woman
Biz
days."
tural division. Robert died in 1965,
of
the
'90s.
She
doesn't
know
the
She was an active member of
and Mabel has lived alone for 34
secret to long life, but she's sure it
B'nai
Brith,
Women's
Bicur
Cholim
years.
isn't oatmeal.
and Hadassah.
According to her friends, Doris
As for the future? "I'm working
Her
only
son,
Jerry,
now
67,
is
a
and Harold Patrick, "Her nothing-
on
101," Mabel says.
retired
accounting
professor
from
is-too-difficult attitude towards life
As
a gift from her children, she
Wayne
State
University.
He
and
his
keeps us in constant admiration and
will
go
shopping with Mitzi to buy a
wife
Mitzi,
of
Franklin,
share
in
awe of Mabel's abilities."
special
outfit for her birthday party
Mabel's
"simple,
everday
pleasures,"
Today, with her photographic
in
May.
Seventy-five friends and
including
taking
her
grocery
shop-
memory and instant recall of lyrics
family
members
will celebrate with
ping.
and dates, Mabel's eyes light up as
"She
is
the
vivacious
Jewish
❑
her.
she sings the songs she performed in
4/9
19T
Detroit Jewish News