“I’ve really lived a very ordinary life,” says Dottie Wilson, when asked if she would be the subject of one of a profile for the Times. Dottie’s humility is genuine, but there is nothing ordinary about a life that has lasted 99 years.

The secrets to her longevity are simple ones: faith, family and friends.

“Ever since I was a little girl of about 5 or 6, I would walk to the church on the corner of the street,” Dottie remembers. “That church became my home away from home,” not only for Sunday morning and evening services but also for prayer meetings once a week, choir practices and more.

“I always felt loved and treasured by that congregation. Those folks filled my life with something I missed at home.”

During our recent conversation, Dottie was honest about her father’s temper (“he was an angry person, a difficult man”), which was something she couldn’t talk about as a child. Dottie’s mother was “kind, gentle, and loving, a remarkable woman,” a saving grace for her daughter.

Back to her church again. That is where Dottie met Dick Wilson. The activities they shared, such as Christian Endeavor, led to their dating, eventual marriage, and “the rest is history,” as they say, “fairly ancient history by now.”

Dottie and Dick had four children, all of whom are still in contact with her every day, since her husband passed away several years ago. The family “moved around a bit” after World War II, settling in Wilton “where our lives were rich and full.” They moved to Mystic 40 years ago, where “we have been equally happy.”

Dottie was an active member of the Mystic Congregational Church for many years, even writing a sermon for Sunday service once at the request of the minister.

When Masonicare at Mystic opened in 2016, Dottie and Dick Wilson were among its first residents. Dottie has remained an active participant in various activities here, including volunteering to be a member of the welcoming group charged with helping new residents get acclimated to their new homes

Dottie Wilson’s faith in God, her husband and children, and the friends they have made wherever they have lived, have helped her navigate the vicissitudes of a far from ordinary life.

Jim Izzo is a retired teacher living in Mystic.