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LOWER LAKE, Calif. — Russel Rustici Park in Lower Lake was buzzing with activity on Father’s Day weekend.
On the Saturday of that weekend, families were holding picnics and having weekend fun, and in the park’s community center building, 64 members of the Brookins family were gathered for their annual Father’s Day weekend family reunion.
At first glance, the most extraordinary thing about the Brookins family’s gathering of several dozen people might have been the big, happy group enjoying time together on a hot day.
But it was the guest of honor who stole the show.
At the head table sat longtime Clearlake Park resident Dottie Brookins, with a big smile on her face, wearing a large “Birthday Queen” button.
She’s not just the matriarch of a huge and loving family.
This year, she marked a milestone: In May, she celebrated her 105th birthday.
Her great niece, Tammy Martin, surprised Dottie with a party in the midst of the family reunion, which featured six generations of the family, plenty of great food and a chocolate birthday cake with huge red roses. Her family came from around the state and from Oregon to be there for the event.
A long and interesting life
Dottie Cowan was born on May 13, 1921, in Stockton, one of four children.
The year she was born included many other notable events, among them, British mystery writer Agatha Christie published her first novel; Charlie Chaplain’s first full-length feature movie, “The Kid,” was released; Albert Einstein won the Nobel Prize in Physics; and Warren G. Harding became the 29th president of the United States.
Her family later moved to Napa, where she grew up. She and her future husband, Delbert Brookins, met there as children and grew up together.
Delbert was a member of the Winnemem Wintu Band of Indians, whose traditional territory includes Mt. Shasta. His family decided to move south for better weather conditions.
Delbert and Dottie married, and he served in the Navy during World War II, while she worked for a time at Mare Island. Delbert also worked at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard from 1941 to 1975. Later Dottie worked as a secretary to the counselors at Napa College.
The couple had five children: Delbert, who died in early childhood; daughters Virginia Brown, who now lives in Vacaville, Loretta Colmer of Oregon, and Rita Winchell, who lives close to her mother in Clearlake; and another son, Duane, who died last year.
“There’s just a whole bunch of us,” said daughter Virginia Brown.
“We had a huge family in Napa,” Brown said. “Little by little, we’ve moved out of Napa.”
The Brookins lived in Guam for five years and then returned to Napa, selling their home and moving to Clearlake Park after Delbert retired.
They enjoyed their years together in Lake County. Family members said Delbert would make everyone sourdough pancakes during the annual family reunions. In addition to being a family man, he was an outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting.
Delbert and Dottie were married for 65 years. “They just seemed to make it work,” Brown said of her parents.
Delbert died at age 87 in May of 2005. Dottie, however, kept going, a fact that has surprised even her.
She and her sister, Barbara Stahlecker, used to speak on the phone daily, usually after watching their favorite soap opera, the “Bold and the Beautiful,” said Linda Smernes, Stahlecker’s daughter and Dottie’s niece from Napa, who made an amazing chocolate trifle for the occasion.
Stahlecker died at age 87. Their grandmother lived to be almost 100, and Dottie would eventually pass that mark.
In addition to her five children, Dottie is the grandmother to 18, great-grandmother of 53, great-great-grandmother of 58 and she has four great-great-great grandchildren.
Throughout the reunion, she had grandchildren of all ages coming up for a hug and a happy birthday wish.
Advice for a long life
Dottie said she’s surprised she made it to this age.
Asked if she exercises or is a member of any social groups — two key indicators of longevity identified in multiple studies — she said no to both.
Does she have secrets for longevity?
“I eat what I want and I go to bed early,” she said.
Daughter Virginia said Dottie isn’t a small eater, but prefers a steak and a beer over a small portion.
And during the Saturday lunch, Dottie enjoyed a huge banquet of food that included tacos, barbecue and plenty of cake and desserts.
Asked if she has any favorite foods, Dottie said, "Anything and everything.”
Other advice?
“Wake up every morning and enjoy the day,” she said.
Her grandson, Keeton Brookins, who presented her with the big birthday cake with silver balloons that said “105,” pointed to her big family and said, “Look at the mess you made.”
Dottie clearly enjoyed the reunion.
She pulled out some “Quick Snap” disposable cameras so she could take pictures of everyone, including this reporter.
Another clue to her long life may be in her own personal humility.
After capturing plenty of her loved ones in pictures, she sat down and toward the end of lunch said that it “just dawned on me” that so many well wishers had come to see her.
“It just warms my heart,” Dottie said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at elarson@lakeconews.com. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, and on Bluesky, @erlarson.bsky.social. Find Lake County News on the following platforms: Facebook, @LakeCoNews; X, @LakeCoNews; Threads, @lakeconews, and on Bluesky, @lakeconews.bsky.social.
