Dorothy Isaac (seated, left) wipes away tears as the surprise drive-by procession turns the corner onto Pershing Street to celebrate her 90th birthday Sunday.

Dorothy Isaac was ready for a quiet birthday celebration with her three daughters and a few other family members Sunday afternoon.

Little did she know the daughters had other plans. 

More than 60 cars, loaded with family, friends and well-wishers gathered around the corner at the Iberia Boys and Girls Club, then snaked around the block to pop up at the corner of Bank and Pershing streets — right next to her house. 

“Why are we still out here?” Isaac asked after her daughters led her out to the sidewalk, setting her birthday tiara and pinning the “Happy Birthday” ribbon to her bloise.

“We’re waiting on the king,” daughter Phyllis Isaac said with a laugh. “We’re waiting on your man to come for your birthday date!”

“She has no idea about the parade,” she added, smiling as she walked away to get treats for the drive-by participants.  

The matriarch of Pershing Street burst into tears as the first of the vehicles turned the corner. Isaac spent her entire life living in the house on Pershing, even after the destruction of Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

“The original house was destroyed,” she said. “A big tree came down on it. We rebuilt, but it’s not the same. The other house was so much bigger.”

“What’s going on?” she asked as New Iberia City Marshal Tony Migues, who led the parade, jumped out of his vehicle and gave her a birthday hug.

The procession went on for almost half an hour, with horns honking, birthday wishes yelled out and presents dropped off.

“This is a nice area, everyone knows everybody,” Dorothy Isaac said. “We don’t have any trouble, nobody breaking in or nothing. We take care of each other.”

Sunday afternoon it was obvious that the neighbors and the community were more than willing to give back for Mama Isaac as well.