Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-10-31
OVER rs YEARS OLD.
Death 0vertakes Aunt Peggy
After a Pursuit of More
Than a Century.
BORN OF K0NG0 PARENTS,
She Was Brought to Pittsburg by Her
Wealthy White Mistress.
FREED BY HER OWNERS WILL.
All Her Children Have Crossed Before Her
to the other Shore.
QUIET END TO A LONG, USEFUL LIFE
BORN OF KONGO PARENTS,
FREED BY HER OWNERS WILL.
all Her Children Have Crossed Before Hel
to the other Shore.
QUIET END TO A LONG, USEFUL LIFE

QUIET END TO A LONG, USEFUL LIFE
Pittsburg's oldest inhabitant was buried
yesterday in the person of Mrs Margaret
Donaldson, colored, better known as Aunt
Peggy. Although not native OF the city
she was its oldest resident. Her age was
at least 112 years and probably more. She
never wore glasses in her life, her eye was
as bright as young woman's, her memory
as clear as it ever was and her hearing acute
to an extraordinary degree. All her facul-
ties were as we'll preserved as her physical
being, until within a few weeks of her
death. In appearance she was small.
There was not wrinkle in her kind old
face-her skin was smooth, her habits were
neat and clean and she took such pride in
her personal appearance that she contin-
uaIly wore a small black silk cap to conceal
her gray hairs Her age was standing
Joke at the Home for Aged Colored Women,
where she has resided for the past ten years,
visitors who did not know her invariably
guessing her age at from GO to 20 years.
Her activity was remarkable. Two weeks
before her death she could run up and
down stairs with greater ease than any
other inmate of the institution.
Documentary Evidence of Her Age.
Like many other old colored people, Aunt
Peggy had no idea of her age. She was il
literate, could neither read nor write, and
her age is estimated from that given on her
'tree papers," statements she made, and
events she witnessed and could remember,
which occurred a century ago. Her parents
were both natives of the Kongo country in
Africa. She was born in slavery on the
eastern shore of Maryland, and remembered
her parents distinctly Her father pre-
served his Kongo name of Singo, and she
was known as Peggy Singo until her mar
riage.
One of the most interesting periods in her
life was the time when a girl of 12 or 13 she
was sold to Mrs. Annie Sheldon, resident
of this city. As she many times related
the story, she was out in the little house
lot around her fathers cabin on the planta-
tion gathering sticks for firewood. A car
riage drove up containing her owner and
Mrs Sheldon. The lady looked at her for
q moment, then nodded to the gentleman
beside her, who called the child to him.
Not Allowed to Say Goodby.
She had been taught obedience to the
white mans command, and when he Or
dered her into the vehicle she obeyed.
Without an opportunity to say goodby to
parents, brothers or sisters, she was whirled
away to Baltimore and subsequently
brought to this city as Mrs Sheldon's slave.
When she came to Pittsburg it was will
derness- Aunt Peggy has often said one
could stand on the hill where the Holy
Ghost College now stands and count every
house in the settlement. Her life with
Mrs Sheldon was an agreeable change to
her, though she grieved for years for her
people. Pennsylvania at that time had a
law under which slaves became free at the
age of % years, but Aunt Peggy knew
nothing about it
Mrs. Sheldon died in 1882 She had been
married three times while Aunt Peggy lived
with her and was engaged for the firth time
at her death. Her last husbands name was
Bowie. When she died she left will de-
claring Aunt Peggy free, but requesting
the family of Luke Loomis, one of the fore
most men in the city at that time, to take
Loomis family for ten years, when she mar
ried John Donaldson by whom she had
several children.
OutIived All Her Children.
She has outlived them all, though all
grew up to manhood and womanhood. 1t
was through the descendants of the Loomis
family, who are still living in this city, that
Aunt Peggy was placed in the Home for
Aged Women ten years ago, and they boun-
TRULY cared for her until her DEATH
One fairly reliable indication of the old
lady's age is found in the certificate issued
by the County Recorder comforting her
freedom in accordance with the will of her
mistress. The s'free papers," as she called
the certificate, are dated September, 1882,
and describe her as being As years of age,
but she always declared the papers were
withheld from her until ten years later,
and that her age was underestimated just
that many years Among her effects since
her death have been found the original will
of her mistress, so discolored and faded BY
age that it is scarcely decipherable.
The last ten years of Aunt Peggy's life
were perhaps the happiest ones. At the
home on kirkpatrick street she assumed
the care of the garden, and, being intensely
fond of flowers, spent all her spare moments
in their cultivation. Until one year ago
she insisted on doing all her own washing
and other work, taking great pride in the
cleanliness of her garments and bed CLOTH
ing.
She Was Ready to Die.
% For 80 years she was a member of the
Wylie Avenue A. NJ E. Church and her re-
ligion was uppermost in her mind. A few
hours before the end she passed her hand
over her forehead, on which the dew of
death had already appeared. She realized
and remarked it, saying she was ready. Her
last request was that over her open grave
the hymn "Children of the Heavenly
King" should be sung. Her wish was re-
spected At the funeral yesterday, conducted
by the Rev, DR.. Asbury.
Aunt Peggy was we'll known and ven-
Grated by the colored people of the two
cities By some she was believed 10 pos
sess a supernatural power, but by all, par
ticularly those in the institution with whom
she was in daily contact, she was loved for
her bright, CHEEKY and happy disposition.
Her death is keenly felt by them all.