Dorothy Hatfield

Name: Dorothy Hatfield

Parish: Charter member of Nativity Church, Evansville

Married, number of children, grandchildren: Widow of Robert Hatfield, who died three days before their 55^th wedding anniversary in 2000; four children, 10 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and three more great-grandchildren on the way.

Tell us three things about yourself: I care very deeply about my family. I’m not very outgoing, so when I make a friend, they are very dear to me. I like to keep busy.

Have you encountered a miracle or God’s intervention in your life? I wasn’t raised Catholic. I grew up on a farm in Posey County, and we didn’t go to church regularly. My husband, Bob, was Catholic. We were married at the rectory at St. Joseph Church in Evansville, but I did not convert at that time. Five years after we were married, we were in an automobile accident. I was the only one who was hurt. I had a broken leg and was in a body cast from July to October. While I was at the old St. Mary’s Hospital on First Avenue, Father Jim Lex would visit me. He had such a good personality and sense of humor, and he encouraged me to join the Catholic Church. After I recovered, he gave me instructions, and I was confirmed. I think maybe God nudged me a little bit when we had the accident and met Father Lex. By the time our first two children were ready to start school, I had converted to the Catholic faith.

What was your childhood like? I was the youngest of three girls. My older sisters left home to come into the city to work, so it was almost like I was an only child. I helped my mother and dad with the chores, but I liked the outside work better than being in the house. On the farm, we had pigs, cows, chickens and horses. My father died of a heart attack when I was about 16 or 17 years old. My mother had to sell the farm, and one of my sisters and I moved to Evansville with her.

How did you and your husband meet? When we moved from the farm into town, we lived next door to Bob’s family. It was World War II, and he had entered the Air Force right out of high school, so he wasn’t living at home when we moved in. He served in China, Burma and India. When he came home, we met and ended up getting married on Oct. 11, 1945.

Who was your hero or someone who influenced you growing up? My mother, because of the type of person she was. She was very caring, and I never heard her raise her voice. She was always there for me. After I was married, she lived with us part of the time, so I had a live-in babysitter when I went to work. She dearly loved her grandchildren.

Who is your hero today? Today, each American man and woman defending our country in Iraq is my hero.

What was your first job and what did it pay? My first job was at the telephone company, and I remember getting paid $13 a week. I retired in December of 1983. After that, I volunteered at St. Mary’s Medical Center for 17 years, then I started volunteering more at church.

What form does stewardship take in your life? How do you give of your time, talent and treasure to your parish? I volunteer in the church office two or three times a week. I answer the phone and help prepare the bulletins and parish mailings. For 30 years, I cleaned the church regularly. Now, because of health reasons, I help schedule the teams of church cleaners. For years, I also worked at the Summer Socials and fish dinners. I’m not as active now, but I still try to help where I can.

How else do you stay active? I read, and I do counted cross-stitch.

What is the last book you’ve read? I enjoyed the book about Father Lex, and look forward to reading the one about Father Temple. Father Burns has started a book club at Nativity and Holy Spirit. I’m reading a book he has recommended called Swear to God by Scott Hahn. Jan Karon’s Mitford novels are my all-time favorite reading.

Describe a time in your life when you relied on your faith: My faith has just helped me the whole way through. I wouldn’t be able to survive without it. I was lucky enough to be married 55 years and have all healthy children and grandchildren . . . that’s a blessing.

What do you like most about being Catholic? The uniformity of it. You can go into any Catholic church anywhere, and you can feel at home.

Tell us about a favorite saint: I pray a lot to the Virgin Mary.

What’s your favorite religious item? I still have a rosary Bob gave me and a crucifix we received when we were married.

What makes a success? Being kind and considerate along the way. Determination is good, but don’t forget to be kind and considerate, also.

What’s the best advice you could give someone? Not to hold a grudge. If you get upset with someone or someone has done something to you, try to take care of it before it gets worse than what it really was to begin with. The longer you put it off, the worse it is, and the harder it is to do something about it.