Clara Doutly and Katie Moylan share a precious bond.

Doutly, a World War II “Rosie the Riveter” who just celebrated her 100^th birthday, refers to Moylan, 54, a Ford Vehicle Programs analyst, as her daughter.  But the two are not related. 

They first crossed paths when both were volunteering at the St. Patrick Senior Center in Detroit in 1999.  But an extraordinary friendship blossomed in 2014 when Moylan received an email looking for women to participate in a Guinness World Record event for the “Largest Gathering of People Dressed as Rosie the Riveter” at the former Ford Willow Run plant, where B-24 bombers were built in the 1940s.

“I don’t know why the email came to me,” said Moylan, reflecting on a moment in time that she now believes was some type of divine intervention.  “But I remembered that Clara was a riveter, so I asked her if she wanted to go.”

Both women had experienced loss in their lives.  Moylan’s mother died when she was 12, and her father passed away when she was 34.  Doutly buried two husbands and never had any children. 

“Something just clicked,” said Moylan.  “And I became her friend, her companion and her caretaker.”

It’s been 7 years, and the two are still going strong. 

Moylan talks with Doutly twice a day, and every Friday, she goes to her home on the Wayne State campus, changes her bedding, takes her laundry to wash and brings it back on Saturday.

“I buy a lot of her groceries.  I make sure she has all her meds.  I help her with her banking and make sure her bills are paid,” said Moylan.  “But she does a lot herself.  She’s very self-sufficient.” 

Prior to COVID, Moylan and Doutly went out together almost every weekend.

“We were in parades for Rosie events, and Clara belongs to Rosie groups that love to get together and talk over coffee and cake,” said Moylan.  “I was her wheels, so I would take her.”

Clara also took part in a Ford-sponsored ‘Original Rosies’ Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. in 2016 with Katie serving as her companion. 

During the COVID pandemic, Moylan would pick Doutly up and take her on car rides to Belle Isle.

“She wasn’t able to go anywhere, and it drove her crazy,” said Moylan.  “Going to Belle Isle is one of her favorite things to do, so I’d pick her up, get her a Tim Horton’s coffee and some Timbits, and we’d go.”

Doutly recently celebrated her 100^th birthday, and Moylan arranged an elaborate party for her that included representatives from Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s office, the Capuchin monks, the Tuskegee Airmen, St. Patrick’s Senior Center and Rosie the Riveters.  During the party, Doutly was presented with a Congressional Award from U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell and an honorary diploma from Cass Technical High School. 

“I started planning it two months ago,” said Moylan, who laid out Doutly’s clothing the night before the party – her red sweater embroidered with “Original Rosie,” blue pants and polka dot hat, scarf and socks.

Moylan also reached out to Ford to see if the company might be interested in recognizing Doutly for her efforts as a Rosie the Riveter.

“I sent an email to Jim Farley, and he responded to me within hours,” said Moylan.  “He’s said, ‘We’re on this.’”

In honor of Doutly's birthday, Ford Fund President Mary Culler presented Doutly with a framed photo of her during the Honor Flight trip signed by both Bill Ford and Jim Farley and announced that Ford has donated a bench on Belle Isle in both Doutly's and Moylan's name in recognition of all their contributions to the city of Detroit and their amazing friendship.

Moylan says Doutly brings love and joy to her life.   

“I tell Clara God put us together.  I lost my parents, and she’s alone,” said Moylan.  “We have a beautiful relationship.  She tells me she loves me every day, and I just want to be the one to take care of her.  I’ll never walk away from her, and she knows that.”

Please check out the photo gallery below for images from Clara's 100th birthday party.