‘Mother’ Cunningham honored

Larry Johnson speaks to guest of honor Allean Francis Burton Cunningham at her 100th birthday celebration at the College of Central Florida’s Klein Conference Center on June 7. [Photo by Andy Fillmore]

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Posted June 10, 2025 | By Andy Fillmore, [email protected]

Allean Francis Burton Cunningham was honored by friends and family with a 100th birthday celebration on June 7 at the College of Central Florida’s Klein Conference Center.

Cunningham, known as the “matriarch of the Cunningham family,” which has extended members living in areas including West Palm Beach, Georgia and Texas, is affectionately called “our mother” Cunningham by many throughout the community.

The celebration saw upwards of 250 people gather for a dinner, music and to share memories. Cunningham entered the party flanked by several family members and said “Thank you” to the crowd after listening to a selection from the musical group.

“My mother loves everybody,” said her daughter, Olivia Watson.

Cunningham was born June 4, 1925, in the area of southeast Ocala known as Montague and attended Mount Canaan Church school. She married as a young woman and worked for a time at Sturgis Furniture in Ocala, Watson said.

Brothers Jordan and Johnnie Anderson held a giant birthday card, perhaps five feet tall, for arriving guests to sign. The event included a slideshow and expressions from children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Larry Johnson presented a proclamation from Ocala Mayor Ben Marciano marking the milestone. Johnson said Cunningham, his aunt on his father’s side, raised him as a youngster. He said she is “very family oriented” and “very faithful” and a lifelong member of Saint Paul’s AME Church in Ocala.

“My aunt said that she believes the reason she has had a long life is because she tries to be stress-free and leave things to God,” Johnson said.

Cunningham has nine children, 16 grandchildren, 26 greatgrandchildren and 13 great-great-grandchildren. Her sons Willie James Cunningham Sr. and Walter Cunningham Sr., with his wife Audrey Cunningham, and daughters Evelyn Chisholm and Erica Cunningham joined the celebration.

Audrey Cunningham commented on her mother-in-law’s faith in a text.

“She is a very smart and hard-working lady who loves God with all her heart and loves God’s people,” she wrote.

Family members who traveled from Texas to attend the celebration held up a blanket made with panels reflecting scenes from a visit Cunningham made recently to Killeen, Texas, to attend the graduation of her great-granddaughter Janae Beverly, 19, who earned an associate degree. Janae and her brother, Anthony Beverly, 17, were at the celebration in Ocala. She said she plans to attend Texas State toward a possible career path in the U.S. Air Force.

Devin Beverly, 32, traveled from Georgia to celebrate his great-grandmother’s 100th birthday.

“I can’t imagine what her eyes have seen,” he said

Mia Beverly, 11, likely summed up the feelings of the entire group at the celebration.

“Happy birthday…we love you,” she said.

To learn more about Cunningham, see previous “Gazette” articles about her struggles with an aging residence and how the community rallied to help: ocalagazette.com/finding-solutions, ocalagazette.com/community-comes-through-for-cunningham and ocalagazette.com/elderly-woman-fighting-to-stay-in-the-home-she-and-her-husband-built-57-years-ago