As she transitioned into independent living earlier this year, Minnie Opal Hill — or Auntie Opal, as her family calls her — made sure to bring her Scrabble board and her Scrabble dictionary with her. At 105, she’s been playing the game for decades, knows all the rules, and has memorized the points for all the tiles. She’s quite the expert, so it was only natural that her 105th birthday party be Scrabble-themed.
The party in late July was decked out with Scrabble-board tablecloths, a Scrabble-tile birthday banner, and a Scrabble-board cake, but the big surprise of the day was that Hasbro, owner of the popular game, was donating 105 board games to Literacy Mid-South in Hill’s name — and not just Scrabble, but different games for all ages.
“We are big on family literacy and we support the creative ways that parents involve their children in literacy-rich activities,” Sam O’Bryant, executive director of Literacy Mid-South, said in a release about the donation. “We know that families will spend several hours playing these games, strengthening their children’s reading proficiency as a result.”
Nicole Hughes, Hill’s great-niece, knew that this donation from Hasbro would be the perfect gift for her great-aunt whose greatest passions are books, Wheel of Fortune, and Scrabble — basically anything with words, she says. “That’s kind of what has kept her mind so sharp. She’s so independent, and she has so much energy. When people meet her, they’re like, ‘Are you sure she’s not in her eighties?’”
Hughes has planned Hill’s birthday parties for the past five years. “When she turned 100, I was like, ‘As our first centenarian in the family, we got to go all out,’” says Hughes. “She was the Peabody Duck Master for the day, and it was just a lot of fun. … I reached out to the mayor’s office, and they sent her a lovely declaration, declaring it Opal Hill Day.”
For Hill’s 103rd birthday, the family hosted a book drive with Novel for Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, in keeping with her love for reading and giving back. Novel even created a special display with her favorite mystery books. For this birthday, in addition to donating games to Literacy Mid-South, Hasbro gave Hill a special-edition Scrabble board as a bonus birthday treat.
“Opal’s very humble in her own life,” says Hughes, “so I think I have, through these birthday celebrations, created more of a fuss than maybe she’s used to, but I’m like, ‘You’re worth it.’ She’s given back to the community [throughout her life], but I don’t think she has thought to give back in ways we have through these birthday celebrations. It’s more of a gift for her — for her to see what kind of impact you can make with your story.”
At this, Hughes recalls Hill’s experience as the Peabody Duck Master for her 100th birthday. “At the end of the little ceremony,” Hughes says, “she was sitting there, and there was a line of kids that lined up just to meet a 100 year old. It was the cutest thing, but it was the first time we were seeing what kind of impact it can have. Yes, it’s amazing to meet someone of that age, but it’s also amazing to hear their stories.
“I just think we have a lot to learn from centenarians especially,” Hughes continues. “Memphis has other centenarians. Opal’s not the only one. They hold so many stories — a century of stories — and the city is only a little over 200 years old itself.”
East Tennessee has a Century Club, which honors individuals 100 years and older, with members of the club receiving a letter of greetings from the governor and a matted certificate of recognition from the Century Club. They also receive cards during birthdays and holidays. Hughes’ dream at the moment is for West Tennessee to create a similar club. “I wish we could celebrate all centenarians in Memphis [the way we’ve celebrated Opal],” she says.
To learn more about Literacy Mid-South, how you can donate, and how you can get involved, visit literacymidsouth.org.
