Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-01-04
tooth BIRTHDAY
Celebrated, Sunday, by Mrs,
Phoebe S. Ellis, Sidney.
Five Generations Represented on This
Remarkable Occasion.
She Was Born Century Ago in the House
Where Nox Living.


country has had from Washington to
Cleveland, with a good prospect of
being able to enjoy the blessings that
will follow McKinley's Inauguration.
Few of us have dwelt in two states,
two counties and two towns, and yet
| occupied for a century the same quiet
farmhouse. Few of us. when the
shadows of waning day are longest,
can gather children and grandchildren
| and great grandchildren and great
! great-grandchildren about our knee,
and enter with the spirit of youth into
the celebration of the day that closes
an even century of life.
Not many miles from Augusta is o
woman who has been spared to do all
these things, and who is. remarkably
well of body and sound of mind as she
enters upon her second century Of life.
She is Mrs. Phoebe Sawtele ELLIS,
widow of the late VIM. L. Ellis, who
lives about 10 miles from this city on
the Pond road in the town of Sidney.
She lives with her son, LaForrest l..
Ellis, and his family; in the same
house in which she was born. jan. 3,
1897. and which has been her home
ever since.
Saturday afternoon and evening the
old farmhouse was filled to overflow
ing with a merry gathering of her
| neighbors from far and near to aid in
the Agrand celebration. Everybody
| knows and loves the quiet old lady
| who sits by her open fire, always glad
to welcome her many visitors and chat
with them, and the whole town calls
her grandmother" or Aunt Phoebe. y
1t was a remarka BILE family gathering,
| such as few cities or towns ever know,
and none of the large company present
will ever forget the occasion.
Five generations were represented in
| the gathering, ranging from Mrs. Ellis
herself to her great-great-grandson
from Oakland, SO years her junior.
Yet large and happy as was the, COM
rany there were the many absent ones
toward whom flew the thoughts of all.
In Massachusetts, Michigan and Cali
fornia are sons and daughters of Mrs.
Ellis, themselves now well along in
years. With children and grandchildren
forming their family circles.
When the Journal reporter rode over
the Sidney hills in the afternoon, and
called up at the long, low, implanted
farmhouse he was given cordial
greeting by the hospitable family and
enjoyed a pleasant talk with the CEN
tenarian herself. She was sitting be-
side a cosy fire in the fireplace, and
from the window beside her she could
see the gnarled trunks of the old
orchard planted by her father before
her birth.
Mrs. Ellis is a slight old lady with
kindly face, and with silvery hair
combed back from her brow. Her
hearing is perfect, and her eye is clear
and bright. Her speech is hesitating
and, to a stranger, occasionally indis-
tinct, as the result of paralysis some
time since. Many women 20 or 80
years her Junior appear much older
than she does. She has little strength,
however, and cannot move about the
house without help. 1t was sunset
when the Journal man reached the
house, and in the fading light OF the
brief winter day he was unable to
secure a picture of her as he had
boped TO do for his readers. The fam
ily all expressed much regret that
picture taking was impossible. Mrs.
Ellis was very willing to converse, and
at once showed that her intellect is
unclouded and her memory wonder
fully active.
She is a modest old lady and does not
see anything remarkable in the age
she has attained. Il enjoy a celebra-
ton every day. she said, "and don
see why they should make any more
of this day" Nevertheless she was
glad to see her many callers, ana
thank them for the kind words they
had to say. She says she is happy IN
life and she may well be, for she mas
no illness to afflict her and she is sur
rounded by every comfort and every
tender care that loving hands can give.
Her father, Reuben Sawtelle, came
RI Maine from Groton, Mass, and was
one of the early settlers of Sidney. he
cleared a farm in the wilderness on the
cast shore of the beautiful sheet OF
water sometimes called by its Indian
name Messalonskee lake. and more
often by the name later acquired
SNOW pond. Here, some ITO years ago.
no built the house still standing where
he reared large family, and here ms
Surviving daughter was BORN JAM o.