Sep 23, 2003 2 min read

Dora Stranyak Kott celebrated her 100th birthday on Monday, Sept. 15. She was born on Sept. 15, 1903, daughter of the late John and Maria Bednarik Stranyak. She grew up on a farm in Merrittstown adjacent to an old blacksmith shop near the post office with her sisters, Anna Valesko and Mary Gill and brothers, Paul and Mike, who are all deceased.

In 1919, Dora married Mike Kott of Vanderbilt. They moved back to Dora’s hometown and raised 10 children, including Steve Kott of New York; the late Elizabeth Kott; Dorothy Kott of Pennsylvania; the late Michael Kott; the late William Kott; Joseph Kott of Pennsylvania; John Kott of Virginia; Mary Malanick of Ohio; Natalie Talbert of North Carolina; and Fred Kott of Maryland.

Dora also has 15 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.

At one time, Dora did a lot of canning from her garden, hung her laundry outside to dry in the sunshine and wallpapered her house. Grandma Kott welcomed company to her home and always had plenty of homemade pieorgies, cabbage rolls, potato salad, nut rolls and other foods.

After 47 years together, her husband, Mike, died in November 1966. Dora continues to live in the house they purchased 60 years ago. Today, family members care for Dora.

Dora has been a longtime as well as the oldest member of Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in New Salem, where family members and friends gathered to wish her a happy 100th birthday.