When family and friends gather to celebrate the 100th birthday of Mattie B. Rutland on July 8, they will be honoring far more than a remarkable milestone. They will be celebrating a century of unwavering faith, enduring love, family legacy, and a life that has touched generations.
Born on July 8, 1926, in Midville, Burke County, Georgia, to Emmanuel Mells Sr. and Alice Beasley Mells, Mattie is the eldest and now the only surviving child of the Mells family. Her brothers and sister, Emmanuel Jr., Lizzie, and Roosevelt, have all preceded her in death, making her the living keeper of her family’s rich history.
In the early 1940s, Mattie married Willie Frazier Sr. and moved to Broward County, where she would build a life centered on faith, family, and service. Looking back over the past 100 years, she simply says she has been “truly blessed by God.”
That faith has been the cornerstone of her life.
Since joining New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in 1956, Mattie has faithfully served her church family in nearly every capacity imaginable. She has been an usher, choir member, prayer leader, Sunday School teacher, missionary, and devoted servant to members who were sick and shut-in. In recognition of her years of faithful service, she was honored as one of the church’s Mothers.
Although age now prevents her from attending services regularly, her devotion has never wavered. She continues to read her Bible daily and delights in studying God’s Word, which she credits for carrying her through every season of life.
One of her fondest memories is traveling with fellow church members to Biblical conventions throughout Florida, including Miami and Tampa. Those trips not only deepened her faith but created lifelong friendships, especially with her beloved church sisters, Betty Shorty and Lena King.
Mattie’s faith also opened doors she never imagined.
Growing up as “a little Black girl from the backwoods of Georgia,” she never dreamed she would one day travel across the United States and around the world. Yet her journey has taken her throughout Florida and to cities including Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Virginia, Chicago, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and San Diego. She also crossed the Atlantic to experience the beauty and history of Florence, Rome, Vatican City, London, Stuttgart, and other European destinations.
Perhaps Mattie’s greatest accomplishment is the family she nurtured.
She is the proud mother of eight children, many of whom have gone on to distinguished careers after graduating from respected colleges and universities across the country. Her children include retired U.S. Army Colonel Willie Frazier Jr., Annie B. Frazier, Thomas Frazier, Jay Frazier, Otis Frazier, Hazel Rice, Maryann McMillian, and the late Pauline Frazier.
Her legacy has continued to flourish through the generations.
Today, Mattie is the proud grandmother of 14, great-grandmother of 35, great-great-grandmother of 18, and great-great-great-grandmother of 4. Few people have the privilege of witnessing five generations of descendants, making her family tree a living testament to the love, guidance, and values she has shared over an entire century.
Longevity appears to run deep within the family. Her maternal grandmother, Frances, lived to the remarkable age of 109, passing away in 1951. Her great-aunt, Isabel, a longtime Fort Lauderdale resident, also lived to be 109 and was recognized by Broward County during her lifetime for reaching that extraordinary milestone.
As Mattie Rutland celebrates her 100th birthday, she represents more than a century of life. She represents the resilience of a generation that endured segregation, witnessed the Civil Rights Movement, saw humankind walk on the moon, embraced technological revolutions, and watched families grow across five generations.
Through it all, she has remained grounded in her faith, devoted to her family, and grateful for every blessing.
One hundred years is an extraordinary achievement. But those who know Mattie B. Rutland will tell you that the greatest measure of her life is not found in the years she has lived—it is found in the countless lives she has enriched along the way.
Happy 100th Birthday, Mother Mattie B. Rutland. May God continue to bless you, and may your remarkable legacy continue to inspire generations to come.
