The City of Graham honored Mildred Whittemore Saunders, better known as “MiMi”, with a Proclamation and Key to the City in celebration of her 100th birthday this week. Born on March 23, 1921, the daughter of James Minnor and Pearl Winfrey Whittemore, MiMi has been a longtime resident of Graham.
MiMi and her husband, Robert “Bob” Saunders, who was an N.C. probation and parole officer, were active in the life of the city. While raising their daughter Mignon, who is deceased, MiMi worked in Civil Service at Western Electric and in the office of Dr. G. W. Lawson, a Graham physician.
Mimi remained active in the Daughters of American Revolution where she held leadership positions. She especially enjoyed their fundraising effort in support of scholarships for young women. As an active member of the Democratic Party, MiMi held various offices and was involved in political campaigns, both locally and statewide. A lifetime member of First Methodist Church in Graham, she remained active until becoming homebound for health reasons.
100 years of history has been embedded In MiMi’s mind which is described as “sharp as a tack”, and she has enjoyed spending hours sharing her knowledge and memories with friends and family. Mimi suffered a broken leg in recent months and is now a resident of Peak Resources in Graham. Her only family is her twin grandsons, Alan and Aaron Harden, who live out of state, but are attentive to her care.
Although she is not allowed visitors due to COVID restrictions, she enjoys receiving cards.
