The Monitor-register., 1896-04-17

On Wednesday and Thursday the
Foreign and Home Missionary Societies
of the Presbytery of West Jersey held
their annual meetings in the Presbyterian
Church of Woodstown. Many delegates
came from Woodbury., Camden, Salem,
Bridge ton, Cape May, Millville, Mer-
chantville, Clayton, Hammonton, Green
witch and other places. The church had
been prettily decorated with pot plants,
many of which bore beautiful blooms.
The first session on wednesday was
opened by a devotional meeting conducted
by Mrs. P%aulding, of Daretown, Presi-
dent of the Home Missionary Society.
The roll. call, reading of minutes. appoint
ment of committees, election of officers
and other items of business filled up the
morning. The afternoon exercises were
opened by a half hour of devotional
service conducted by Miss Van Meter, of
Salem. Mrs. B. W. Miller spoke in an
animated manner, about the work among
the Freedmen. She was followed by
Miss Lavinia Pond, who told much of
interest concerning the work among the
Mountain Whites, Alaskans, Indians
and Mexicans. At the close of her
address. the meeting was treated to a
most beautiful solo by Miss Wander.
The evening found the church filled with
an interesting audience. Miss Van
Meter spoke of the work being done by
Presbyterian women for the temper ance
cause. The address of the evening was
given by Prof. G. E. Hurlbert, of the
Pennsylvania Bible Institute, located in
Philadelphia. The duty of carrying the
message of salvation to every creature in
all lands was his theme. The choir
rendered a beautiful chorus, "All hail the
power of Jesus name"
A sumptuous lunch was served by the
ladies of the church at the homes of
VIM. Weatherby and Joseph Reading.
Thursday morning saw the church,
| again filled with the ladies, who, at this
time were to consider the cause of foreign
| missions. After the devotional service
the meeting was called to order by the
President, Mrs. Laura B. Elmer, of
Bridgeton. Reading Of minutes, secre-
tary's and treasurer's reports n other
business engaged the ladies' attention
until half past ten, when Miss Savage,
who was a missionary worker in Dehra,
India, told in a most interesting way of
her fold. Mrs. Bennett, of Rridgeton,
gave a fine report as a delegate to. the
Silver Anniversary meeting of the
Woman's Foreign Missionary Society.
Mrs. J. E. Jaquette was appointed dele
gate to attend the annual meeting of the
same society, in Portsmouth, Ohio, on
April 28sh and Goth. At moor the society
adjourned to meet in Camden next spring.
Aunt Cnard Reaches los
Years.
Four generations of the Chard family
will gather on the twentieth around their
venerable relative, Aunt Hannah Chard,
at the house of her eldest son, in Ferrel,
Gloucester county. The event to be
celebrated is Aunt Hannah's one hundred
and eighth birthday, and the attendance
will include three sons, thirty.two grand
children, eighty-two great-grandchildren
and twelve great great. grandchildren, to
say nothing of unrelated octogenariars
gathered from all parts of the State.
If the weather proves fine the eele-
bration will, in numbers and enthusiasm,
partake of the nature of a county fair.
Aunt Hannah holds the distinction of
being the oldest m in the State, and
New Jersey intends to do honor to her
venerable handmaiden. All the principal
towns in Gloucester county will be
represented, and Joel. Aunt Haunah's
Oldest son, is making preparations to
feast a multitude.
Mrs. Chard was born in Lancaster
CO unity, Pa, April 90, 1883, but moved
to New Jersey in her twenty-second year,
aud has since lived here. In her youthful
days she saw and conversed with many
Revolutionary celebrities, and still re-
members with remarkable distinctness
the exciting Incidents of the war of 1912.
The old lady, although strong in limband
sound in mind and health, is antagonistic
to certain modern improvements. She
objects in particular to railroad travel,
and in going from her home in Port
Norris to visit her son in Ferrel, she made
the trip of sixty miles behind a slow jog
giDg horse, driven by her granddaughter.
Her vitality is remarkable and even at
her present advanced age she personally
directs her household affairs and daily
reads a chapter in the Bible. Aunt Han
nah's husband died in 1882, in his ninety |
third year. The saddest feature in the
old lady's life is the passing away of her
friends and relatives. She was temper
arily Frustrated last year by the death of
her daughter seventy-three years old. OF
her three surviving children, the youngest
is a son in his SEVENTEEN year.
Here is the contribution Mrs. Chard
has made to posterity:
Cnlldren ......"."........ ....s ....."..... IL
Grandchildren 90
Great grandchildren ....".-...... W
Great eat-grandchildren ............. 20
Mrs Chard's vigor of mind and body is
a continual surprise to her relatives and
friends. She walks about out doors
unaided and eats her meals regularly at
the table. She can SEQ without glasses as
we'll as the average person can at forty
and her hearing is good. Mrs Chard is
not a withered old woman by any means.
When weighed a few days ago she raised
the beam at 100 pounds