Mary Ellen Cosby of Odessa celebrated her 100th birthday with family and friends Nov. 23 at the home of her granddaughter and grandson-in-law, Cindy and Mike Kuykendall.

Odessa Mayor Larry Melton issued a proclamation declaring Nov. 23, 2008, as Mary Ellen Cosby Day.

Mary Ellen Dean was born Nov. 23, 1908, in Yell County Ark., in the rural area of Chikala Mountain to Jessie Edward Dean and Ida Alice Linbird.

She was the youngest of eight children, Monroe, Emma, George, Flora, Wilbur, Joe, Effie and Henry who died in childhood.

The family worked a farm in Arkansas and Mary Ellen attended school in a one-room schoolhouse. At 20, she moved to Holdenville, Okla., where she was hired in 1929 with Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. She retired with the company in 1973 after 40 years of service.

Mary Ellen married Walter Ray Cosby in July 1936. They had one daughter, Rhea Dean (named after Ray and after Mary's maiden name). They have lived and worked in Wewoka, Okla., and Bakersfield, Calif. Ray Cosby worked in the shipyards during World War II in Bakersfield and ran a Sinclair Service Station in Wewoka. Mary Cosby continued to work as a telephone operator for Southwestern Bell. They moved Odessa in 1960 to be near their daughter, Rhea Dean and her husband Roger Sanderson and their new baby, Cynthia Lynne. 

In Odessa, Mary Cosby transferred with Southwestern Bell and Ray Cosby worked with a water well service company. Mary Cosby returned to school to complete her GED certification at Odessa College where she was recognized as their "Outstanding Student" in 1977.  

After Ray Cosby's death in February 1976, Mary Cosby followed her daughter to Houston while she pursued her law degree at the University of Houston. Later both returned to Odessa after several years in Houston living in the Galleria area to be near her granddaughter and her family and to be near her two great-grandchildren Jennifer Lynne and Michael John. Rhea Dean died Dec. 1, 1999.

Mary Cosby now resides near her granddaughter and grandson-in-law, the Kuykendall's.

She enjoys gardening and spending time with neighborhood friends and former co-workers.

She is an active gardener and shares vegetables with her family and friends. She often attends church gatherings with her friend Imogene at First Baptist Church.  She enjoys shopping at Wal-Mart and visiting with friends and neighbors. She was a loving babysitter to her granddaughter and later to her great-grandchildren. She created beautiful dresses and doll clothes for both girls and was an excellent seamstress. She spent many hours coloring, drawing, walking, reading to, cooking for and entertaining three generations. 

She still makes birthday cakes for family and friends every year and makes a mean turkey and dressing every holiday.