Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-05-22
TWO CENTENARIANs.
Lite and Inteligenee at loo and 1oa

Life and Intelligence at 100 and IOe Years.
Guilford, short distance east of New
Haven, and Wilton, six miles from Nor
folk, enjoy thedistinction of having with
in their borders each centenarian. In
the tirst-named town, at the head of a
list of tfty-three Octogenarians, and in
the latter, at the head of list of thirty
eight, eighteen of whom are nonogena-
rians, stand respectively the names of
Mrs. Elsie Chittenden, who on Thursday
completed 100 years of existence, and
Mrs. Clarissa Raymond, who YESTERDAY
celebrated her 102d birthday. Mrs. Chit
tenden was born in Durham, Conn.,, April
"A, 1874. Her maiden name was Reave,
and long before the present century be-
gan she was the belle of her village, and
sang in the little Presbyterian church
choir long before organs were heard of.
About the year 1903 she married Mr.. Joy
Meigs and became the mother of six
children, four of whom, one son and
three daughters, each with numerous
descendants. are still living. With the
eldest of these, Mrs. Ebenezer Evarts,
who is an octogenarian, Mrs. Crittenden
resides. More than half a century ago
her first husband died, and she married
Mr.. Crittenden, who departed this life
many years ago. Of late feebleness of
body has compelled the aged lady to keep
her bed, reclining upon which she re-
ceives and talk with her friends. She is
able to read without glasses and main
tains cheerful disposition; has no phys
zeal disease and has never taken medi-
cine. Her centennial was informally
celebrated.
Mrs. Clarissa Raymond is in good
health as when two years ago she cele-
brated her centennial. She is the most
aged lady in Connecticut, and is living
with her daughter, Mrs. Nathan Com
stock, who is 70 years of age. She has q
cheerful word for everyone, and in reply
to a question yesterday remarked that
she felt as we'll as she had done for many
years. 81 have not been out of the house
this winter" she continued. "The
weather has not suited me. But I pro-
pose to walk into the garden and call on
the neighbors when the sun shines long
enough at one time to let me do so. I
haven't been to church since ashort time
after | was 100 years old. [ can't hear
very well, but sit by the window here
and watch the people enter and come out
of the church across the way, and there
is some consolation in doing that" The
aged lady takes delight in abiding to her
past history-of her youth, which was
spent in North Stamford, now known as
New Canaan; of her removal to New
York, and five years residence there pre-
vious to and during the war of 1872; of
her return to Connecticut, and her near
Iy seventy years residence in Wilton,
twenty-five of which have been with her
daughter, Mrs. Comstock. Among the
neighbors and all good people far and
near Mrs. Raymond is held in highest es-
TEEN as a woman of sterling goodness
and kind heart. So marked is this latter
quality that during her long life she has
never been known to utter an unkind
word. Today, with her two great-great-
grandchildren on her knee, she was able
to say that which but few are ever able
to express: "I have looked upon seven
generations"