By John McCallum
Editor 

Flossie Dickey passes

Cheney Care Center resident was 110 years old, internet sensation

 

Last updated 12/1/2016 at 9:03am

Flossie Dickey has a pair of airman's wings pinned on her last February by Fairchild Air Force Base and 92nd Air Refueling Wing Commander Col. Brian McDaniel and her great-granddaughter Sarah Williamson.

If St. Peter was the one to meet Cheney Care Center resident Flossie Dickey at the "pearly gates," he had better made sure he had a shot of whiskey to offer her.

Dickey, who would have turned 111 years old this coming Feb. 18, passed away Nov. 23. The long-time West Plains-area resident was witness to much of the history of the Pacific Northwest during her time. Last year she gained local and internet fame when a video clip of her interview on "Good Morning Spokane," with her trademark slightly sarcastic, short answers and professed fondness for the occasional whiskey, went viral and was picked up around the world.

"The Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon played the clip, which was also parodied on "Saturday Night Live." The interview was picked up by numerous national websites, and appeared in newspapers in England such as The Mirror and The Daily Mail.

Dickey was born Feb. 18, 1906 in Yoncolla, Ore. Dickey's parents moved to the Inland Northwest when she was an infant, first to North Idaho and then to Spokane where she attended school.

A family member owned property near the Pend Oreille River, and it was here she said in a Feb. 26, 2015 Cheney Free Press story that around age 6, she and her siblings had the opportunity to meet Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce Tribe of Indians, spending time in their teepees and learning many of their customs and skills.

At age 15, she met and married Roy Dickey, who she said at the time was driving a "water wagon" used to keep the dust on the dirt streets down.

"My mom met him and she thought he was quite a guy," Dickey said. "Well, I married him."

The couple had three children, Rita, Arthur and Clyde during the Great Depression. Eventually over time, the family grew to include grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

Roy and Flossie at one point moved with their children to Chehalis, Wash. The couple also had a farm near Lewiston, Idaho for a number of years, a location several of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren said created fond memories for them as they grew up. They remained together until Roy's passing in 1971, and Flossie eventually moved in with daughter Rita in Airway Heights.

Dickey has been at the Cheney Care Center since October 2011. According to staff information, she loved to crochet and share stories from her past. Her favorite activity, she said, was getting up in the morning, which was a "good start" to the day.

In the 2015 interview, Cheney Care staff said Dickey told them she had several items should would like to do before her time came, including flying in an airplane. While she never got to do that, she was named an "Honorary Airman" by the U.S. Air Force and received the recognition and a tour of a KC-135 at Fairchild Air Force Base as part of her 110th birthday earlier this year.

"I've never seen a set of dog tags with date of birth Feb. 18, 1906," former 92nd Air Refueling Wing commander Col. Brian McDaniel tells Flossie Dickey. McDaniel, Fairchild Air Force Base and the U.S. Air Force made the 110-year-old an honorary airman for her birthday this past February.

As part of the celebration, Dickey received a plaque, dog tags, coffee mug and a U.S. Air Force ceremonial coin.

"By golly, I'm rich," Dickey deadpanned upon receiving the coin.

Great-granddaughter Sarah Williamson announced Dickey's passing on Dickey's Facebook fan page last Wednesday night. In an email Monday, Williamson commented on her great-grandmother's longevity, saying it created added value to their relationship.

"I know she was old and a lot of people said she lived a good life and it was time," Williamson wrote. "But I have had her my whole life and made her a promise that when she went into the nursing home that I would try to visit her everyday after work. In doing so I feel like our bond grew stronger and so my heart feels heavy in her loss."

Williamson said family members are working on Dickey's service, and would have more information posted on the fan Facebook page. She also asked that in lieu of flowers, people donate to a favorite cause.

John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.

Author Bio

John McCallum, Retired editor

John McCallum is an award-winning journalist who retired from Cheney Free Press after more than 20 years. He received 10 Washington Newspaper Publisher Association awards for journalism and photography, including first place awards for Best Investigative, Best News and back-to-back awards in Best Breaking News categories.

 

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