The Van Buren County Board of Commissioners has honored a South Haven woman as she nears her 100th birthday.

Speaking to the board this week, Commissioner Gail Patterson Gladney said she was taught Sunday school by 99-year-old Mother Bessie Maxine Dye Boyd. Boyd was born on September 14, 1925 in Texas and moved to South Haven in the 1940s. In 1947, she joined Emmanuel Community Church, where she served as a clerk and mentored youth.

Gladney said Boyd has led a distinguished life in South Haven.

“ In 1952, Mother Bessie was one of the first three African American clerks hired by the G .C. Murphy Company in South Haven, serving with distinction for 34 years and earning multiple honors, including corporate recognition a

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