108-Year-Old Midlands Woman Awarded the Order of the Palmetto

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)- A  woman who recently celebrated her 108th birthday was granted an esteemed award for her lifetime of service and achievements.

Community members and area leaders alike came to Donella Brown Wilson’s home on Pendleton Street to watch her receive the Order of the Palmetto, a prestigious honor awarded in recognition of her lifetime of contributions. The oldest living graduate of Allen University and longtime resident of the Historic Waverly District is known for being a civic leader and a staple in her neighborhood.

“Ms. Wilson has been a mentor, a friend and a role model for so many of us for so many years. To see her receive the highest honor that our state has to offer from the governor is a significant accomplishment,” said Mayor Steve Benjamin.

Wilson’s youngest daughter Minnie says though her mother’s body may not be as strong as it used to be, her mind is still sharp and she was eager to hear about the governor’s presentation.

“We are so happy they could do this while she is alive and has a certain response to it because even if she passed and they gave it to her, we would love it too but I’m glad that she was alive and could understand what the governor had done,” said Minnie Wilson-Bivins.

Ms. Wilson is a native of Calhoun County. She learned to read by finding magazines in the trash can before going on to college and becoming an educator. Wilson has voted in every election since she became eligible to vote in the 1940s.