Sandpoint native Dorothy “Hunt” Forgey is celebrating her 102nd birthday today, Feb. 5, at her Washington home, surrounded by the love of her many children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and all who know her.  

“I have seen a lot, some good, some bad. But I have survived, and God has looked after me and my family,” Dorothy said in a letter to The Bee.  

Born to Ralph and Carrie (Timblin) Hunt on Feb. 5, 1924, at North Division Avenue in Sandpoint, Dorothy is the eighth child from the couple, one of 11. 

Dorothy's grandparents, William and Mary Hunt, were the owners of a brickyard that produced bricks for many of Sandpoint’s downtown businesses. The home where they lived would become the Poor Farm, a public institution that provides housing and support for needy individuals, with their ranch located off Hunt Lane and Pine Street.  

With roots embedded deeply into the Sandpoint community, Dorothy grew up on the Upper Pack, attending the old North Star School and later Sandpoint High School.  

She moved on to marry James “Jim” Forgey on June 27, 1942, before he left for the Army. Upon his return, the couple moved to several different towns before settling in Connell, Wash. There, the couple would raise five kids together before Jim’s passing in 1989. 

Dorothy remains in Connell today, caring for herself and maintaining her home.