A BIRTHDAY CAKE adorned with Mildred & late husband L. Davis Sharp.
Family and friends recently gathered to celebrate the 100th birthday of Mildred Sharp on Saturday, December 29, 2023, at the Chateau Banquet Center in Merrillville, Indiana.
Sharp was presented with a Proclamation from the State of Indiana General Assembly declaring her an honorary State Representative. It was presented by Indiana State Representative Vernon G. Williams (D-Gary) and Dwight E. Pointer offered prayer during the program.
She continues to live a very active life for a centenarian. Sharp is dedicated to serving others as a prayer warrior and feeding those in need. She is best described as a missionary through her love, dedication and commitment to feeding those in need and who are destitute. She currently continues to serve as a great teacher of the principles of prayer to others in her close community of family and friends.
Her compassion towards those in need stems from her humble beginnings. Mildred Baker was born on January 3, 1924, in a small Louisiana town called Dubuisson. Today it’s difficult to find Dubuisson on a map but it’s somewhere in the Saint Landry Parish—one of the original Parishes in the state.
Several relatives visited the area in preparation for Sharp’s birthday celebration to do historical research and take photos of the former homestead. For Mildred, it was a place that shaped her mind, personality and character into the loving, kind and self-sacrificing person she is today. It’s also where she learned to love God, stay prayerful and give.
Sharp’s parents, Alberta and Walter Baker were hardworking farmers in 1924. Mildred was the seventh child. She had 11 other siblings—Solomon, Willis, Abraham, Richard, Oland, Mary, Lugenia, Irene, Inez, Katherine and Walter Jr. Together they made their living from the land and helped as many people as they could over the years. During those perilous times for Blacks in the South and the Great Depression, her family helped feed, house and hide many people.
Her daughter Helen recalled stories she heard about her mother’s youth when they had to run and hide, as well as hide others to survive. Sometimes hiding in water while breathing through reeds to survive.
Mildred attended the local schools and after completing the 11th grade attempted to join the Navy against her parent’s wishes. She had three other siblings already enlisted in the Navy. While in basic training, her mother discovered she had enlisted and refused to provide her parental consent, which was necessary for her to remain in the Navy. Her mother did not want four children in the military.
She became a United States Navy volunteer briefly. After Sharp returned home she worked until she moved to Texas where she met her husband of 46 years, L. Davis Sharp. They remained married until he died in 1992.
In 1946, the two moved to Gary, Indiana with two children. L. Davis found work at Youngstown Key and Tool Mill, while Mildred provided a happy and loving home.
The family had always been very important to Mildred growing up and as a wife and mother. She had learned family must take care of one another and the community. The Sharps hosted soul food dinners in their home with family, friends and many notable people from all over.
Mrs. McFarlan, who is a dear friend of Mildred Sharp, said she has known Mildred since 1960. They worked together for Jim Roth at his restaurant. “Mildred wasn’t the type to hear about someone’s challenges and just say oh well. She did things for people instead of saying oh well. Mildred is a very loyal friend,” said McFarlan.
Mildred and L. Davis are the parents of five children, Joan, Jean, Helen, Leon, and Lorraine. The grandparents of Kacie, Carl, Jenine, Alvia, Jenaea, Byron and Anika. Their lineage includes 17 Great-grandchildren and 11 Great-great-grandchildren. Her oldest child is 78.
When asked what she attributes to her longevity, she responds “staying on the line of prayer to God every day.” You see Mildred is a prayer warrior extraordinaire.
In December 2019 she was diagnosed with Stage 2 colon cancer, which was surgically removed. According to her daughter Helen, by the grace of God and fervent prayer, Sharp has never had any chemo or radiation—to the astonishment of her healthcare providers.
In September 2023, Mildred fell and broke her hip but quickly recovered after surgery. She has an excellent memory and normal blood pressure which surprised her physical therapists as they were recently releasing her from rehab therapy. Mildred stays engaged by talking with friends and family as well as going for rides and out for dinner occasionally. One of her favorite pastimes is watching wrestling when she is not praying.
She currently attends New Revelation Missionary Baptist Church, where Rev. E. Turner is the pastor. The faith quote or scripture she has lived by all her life as well as teaching others is “Stay on the line of prayer to God every day.”
