The walls of the Salvation Army Citadel in Hamilton resonated with the accolades paid Mrs. Dorothy Ball when a wide circle of her relatives and friends joined in celebrating her 83rd birthday.

A glow of satisfaction and humility was plainly evident on the face of this widowed mother of six sons and a daughter as she sat quietly absorbing their wit and good humour along with genuine admiration of in-laws, nieces and nephews expressed over her no-nonsense style and Christian disposition relating to her family and neighbourhood.

Interestingly, two of her sons are highly respected Bishops in their respective denominations in the US, after having earned their degrees as Masters of Divinity as well as their Doctorates. Other siblings are either elders or ardent workers in their churches and employed in different public services at home.

Mother Dorothy was of the Holdipp clan of Friswell's Hill, Pembroke North. She became the wife of Calvin Sinclair Ball, better known as 'Tea Pot.' The family moved to Khyber Pass, Warrick when he built his two-storey homestead next to the Warwick Holiness Church overlooking the South Shore. Calvin, Sr., died in April 2005.

The Ball union produced Calvin Jr., Eugene, Dennis, Randolph, Edward, Robert and Darlene.

Calvin left Bermuda in the early 1980s to attend Bible College in Manderville, Jamaica. His brother Dennis went to the US, later graduating from the University of Chicago. The two joined at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. They earned degrees of Master of Divinity and their Doctor of Ministry degrees.

Dennis is now pastor of the House of Prayer in Los Angeles, and a bishop in the United Holly Church of America, Inc. Calvin is Pastor of the Newlife Christian Community in Richland situated in the northwest state of Washington. He is a bishop in his Cleveland, Ohio-based denomination.

Bishop Calvin was the master-of-ceremonies at his mother's party.

Work commitments did not land, Ohio-based denomination.

Bishop Calvin was the master-of-ceremonies at his mother's party.

Work commitments did not enable Denis to come home, but he sent blessings. Other siblings there were Eugene (Vic) Ball, a retired Divisional Officer in the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service, who is also an elder in the Seventh-day Adventist Church; Robert, a retired officer a in the Department of Corrections; sister Darlene who is employed n the Postal Service and Edward who had to leave before the featured photo was taken; brother Randolph is deceased.

The brothers reminisced about how Mother Dorothy, not having a daughter early in the family, trained the boys well to make soup, all-in-one stew, bake pound cake, wash, iron and starch clothes, darn socks and take turns one-week at a time to washing dishes. All this was in addition to their yard work and school home work. The question was who was better at their chores.

On the more serious side they related how their mother's bedroom was the family sanctuary. They prayed there, and before leaving home the mother would always invoke God's blessing on each from the crown of their head to the soul of their feet. Mrs. Ball voiced her appreciation for all involved in the celebration. She added: "It's a blessing to be a mother. God is so good."