BAYTOWN, Texas – The tables were set, the mahjong tiles were ready and the room was awash in pink Friday as a Houston-area group of women gathered to celebrate Dolly Parton’s life and legacy.
The “Dolly Lunch & Mahjong” event at The Mustard Seed, located at 9111 Massey Tompkins Road, brought together about 40 women for a buffet lunch, mahjong games and a celebration of Parton’s music, style and philanthropy.
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The gathering coincided with Dolly Parton Day on Sept. 25 — a date chosen as a nod to Parton’s hit song “9 to 5.” Communities across the country marked the day with celebrations, pink lights, parades and book drives following Parton’s death last month at age 80.
A legacy of bringing people together
For Angela Clement, the event was a natural way to honor a woman whose influence extended far beyond country music.
“She led a godly life. She lifted up other women. She was a literacy advocate,” Clement said. “She rose very high from her humble beginnings, and her music touches everyone in a positive, good way.”
Clement normally hosts about 20 women for a weekly mahjong game at her home. After Parton’s death and the announcement of Dolly Parton Day, she began planning a larger gathering with The Mustard Seed. The event filled all 40 spots in less than 24 hours.
Next year’s celebration falls on a Saturday, and Clement expects the group could grow to about 60 women.
But the day was about more than a game.
“It’s really not about the game. It’s about all the friendships that you make,” said Ann Best, who moved to the area from Seattle five years ago.
Best said mahjong helped her meet people in a new community. She did not know everyone in the room, but she said that was part of the appeal.
“You don’t move into a community and get to know people... except mahjong,” Best said. “I think I know half of Mont Belvieu and Baytown now.”
Women from several mahjong groups attended, including the regular mahjong moms, the “Mahjongers” and members of the Mahjong Society. Some were seated with people they had never met before.
Clement said the game’s social and challenging nature creates an easy way for people to connect.
“I didn’t have a large girlfriend circle. I have no family here,” said Clement, who retired from ExxonMobil after 28 years. “When I got the opportunity to learn mahjong and the social aspect of mahjong, we were all about it.”
Decades of friendship, advocacy and rhinestones
Gina Bibb attended alongside several former high school classmates as they prepare for their 50th reunion. She said she also made new friends through the group.
Parton’s commitment to children and literacy was another major theme of the event. Through her Imagination Library, the Dollywood Foundation provides free books to children, sending more than a million books each month in communities across several countries.
Bibb said Parton’s philanthropy is one of the reasons she continues to inspire so many people.
“She could have just been all about herself,” Bibb said. “But she’s still down to earth.”
The women also celebrated Parton’s unmistakable style. Rhinestones, sequins, butterflies, big hair and shades of pink filled the room, reflecting the look Parton made part of her public identity.
Clement wore a sweatshirt featuring one of Parton’s best-known sayings: “Find out who you are and do it on purpose.”
“To me, that means shine,” Clement said. “Be who you want to be. Don’t be who the world conforms you to be. Be yourself, shine bright and live a full life.”
For another attendee, Parton represented kindness and the ability to lift people’s spirits.
“If everyone could be like Dolly, this world would be unbeatable,” said Robin Stoerner. “Her kindness, her thoughtfulness, her ability to bring smiles to people just by entering a room — we need to be more like Dolly.”
By the end of the luncheon, the mahjong tables had become meeting places for old friends and new ones. The women played, posed for photos and celebrated a legacy they said was rooted not only in music, but in generosity, optimism and community.
“She was so happy and uplifting,” Best said. “Her whole purpose in life was to make people happy and spread joy.”
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