Have fun, don’t work if you don’t have to and stay out of trouble.”

Dolores Cornwell

A longtime resident of South Washington County will soon celebrate her 100th birthday. The family celebration, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 19 at Tinucci’s in Newport, will recognize Dolores “Dots” Ruth Cornwell, born Kitzhaber. Longevity is said to run in the family, with Dolores having a brother who is 96, a sister who is 94, and another sister who is 92.
Looking back on a century of activity, Cornwell has had an eventful life.
Born at Greenwood, Wis. in Clark County on Oct. 15, 1924 to Lawrence and Mabel Kitzhaber as the fifth of 10 children, Cornwell lived and worked at Greenwood before going to Evanston, Ill. at age 17 for work.
She later moved to Chicago to work at a defense plant in World War II as well as a Coca Cola factory, before returning to Greenwood to help on the farm as well as a meat locker.
She met her late husband Calvin Cornwell at the wedding of her sister’s husband’s brother, the latter of whom was marrying Calvin’s sister. Dolores and Calvin were married in 1947, living at Marshfield, Wis. until 1960 when they moved to Gurnee, Ill. and then Thompson Grove in 1961 three years from the suburban neighborhood’s beginning and following Calvin’s work as a trucker. The couple later moved to St. Paul Park in 1967.
Calvin and Dolores went on to have seven children, the youngest starting school in 1971. One of the seven, Park High Class of 1973 graduate Tim Cornwell was inducted into the Park Athletic Hall of Fame in 2018. A World War II Marine veteran, Calvin passed away in February 2013 at age 87 and is buried in Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis.
Now blessed with 10 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild born just recently, Cornwell moved to St. Paul Park in 1967 where she still resides, becoming a 60-plus-year member of St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in S.t Paul Park.
An avid sports fan, Cornwell loved watching Twins baseball on TV and Joe Mauer was her favorite player, such that she wore her Mauer jersey while watching. During a Twins game she was attending she was circled by Bert and loved it. She also enjoyed watching the boys state hockey tournament as all five of her sons played hockey although none every made it to the tournament. A stay-at-home mom known as an excellent cook, she loved to bake, working as a lunch lady in the school district until retiring at age 65.
Experienced with knitting, Cornwell used to knit and sew all types of clothing and volunteered with community ed to help kids make pillows. Now having seen a century of change, she likes to read and do crossword puzzles. Sharing her advice to younger generations she says to, “have fun, don’t work if you don’t have to and stay out of trouble.”
As to her secret to a long life?
She says it wouldn’t be a secret anymore if she told what it is. Happy Birthday Dolores!