Semi-weekly south Kentuckian., 1886-07-13
A French Patriarch.


There are many romantic episodes
in the lcgandry history of Detroit
that are quite unknown to the bus
Ting population of The modern me-
tropolis. Some of these are preserv-
ed in song, some in story, and others
in tradition.
1t is something more than l60years |
since remarkable man was born
here. 1t is only little more than
twenty years since he died. Joseph |
Crele was perhaps the marvel of lon
gevity of this century. He was born
of French parents in the then ulti-
mate frontier post Of Detroit i'll ITO.
his early years were spent here and
perhaps it was the salubrious air he
breathcd that did something 10 pre-
pare his constitution for withstand
ing twice three score years and ten
of the wear and tear of this busy life.
When he had grown young man he
went out in the world and visited the
principal hamlets Of the French pos
sessions in America. When the Eng
lish and Colonial army under the i'll
starred Braddock poured over the AL
leghenys to lake Fort Du Quesne,
Crele was French soldier and lent
hand to the defamation of Braddock's
army. Crele was then older than the
young Washington, but he lived to
see him President and filling large
space in the history of the world, at
a time, too, when even Frederick the
Great and the famous soldiers of the
French Revolution were OH the field
of action. lie mourned to hear that
the great Washington had turned TO
clay, and sixty years and six more
wept with generations century and
a half younger over the assassination
of Lincoln. One of the victors at
Fort Du Quesne lived to see Canada
and the Northwest lost to the banner
of the fleur de lis. He lived on to see
the birth, the growth, and the tri-
umph of the American Republic, of
which he was good citizen for nine
ty years. He was almost GO years
old when the revolution closed, and
yet he outlived every man who serv-
ed III that struggle for liberty. Jo-
seph Crele was married at New Or
leans in l755, and he was quite active
when General Jackson thrashed
Packenham in 1915 and still living
when Farragut and Butler captured
that metropolis of the Southern Con-
fedelacy in 1862. ---
About 1850 Crele settled at the trad
ing post of Prairie du Chen, Wis,
and he lived near there for more than
100 years. His first employment,
while the country was still i'll the
French possession, was as letter
carrier between Prairie du Chen and
Green Bay. But getting along in
years lie afterward settled down on a
farm. lie lived many of his latter
years with his only surviving daugh-
ter. lie was 60 years old when she
was born and she lived to good
round age, but her father survived
her.
Notwithstanding his vast age the
old man continued hale and hearty,
with health such as would content
men Of but half his years. lie fire.
quently walked long distances, and
was in the habit of daily chopping
wood for family use. 1t is reCited
that he was melancholy in his last
vars, and said that death had forgot
ten him. lie was very religious
through his life, and would nearly
always add TO this sad conclusion the
bright words: "But God has not p
lie died January q, 1866, at the
house of his granddaughter, Mrs
Brisbois, at Caledonia. Wis, aged
14l years, and recognized as the veri,
table "oldest man in the New World
Many other cases of remarkable
longevity have been claimed during
this century, but they usually lacked
proof This old man, however, au.
thenticated his age by the record OF
his birth in the old French Catholic
Church here. He also demonstrated
it very strikingly in law case in
which he was called as witness
some years before his death. The
case involved the title to land al
Prairie du CHEN and lie testified tC
transactions of eighty and ninety
years previous.
This native of Detroit was not as
old as the celebrated Thomas Parr
"thc olde, olde, very olde man." O.
Shropshire, England, born 1883, dice
1875, but he lived much more ex
citing life. Parr merely existed
through all his l52 years a monoto
nous lfe in sleepy English hamlet
aud he died when he was shown Lon
don. Crele was also twenty year,
older at his death than the noted
Jean Claude Jacob, member of thu
French Assembly, who was called by
the French wits ofhis time the "deal
of lhp human snnnins y