Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-03-12

years old, an event observed by a
public reception.
Mrs. Hasbrouck is in poor health
and says she does not expect to live
to see another birthday. For the last
four months she has been b~edridien
but she has no disease. Her lungs
are sound, and her heart action O
6ut she Is merely resting, preparatory
TO the eternal rest. She was able to
meet a very few of her relatives and
most intimate friends on her 1O3rd
birthday but there was no reception
UP TO the time she was 100 wears or
age, she looked forward to that great
anniversary with anticipation but
since then she has gradually de-
cIlned. Last October she was taken
TO her bed with an attack of asthma
and although that has gone. from her
she mas not been able to be I'D since
then On the day she was 100 years
old Grandma" Hasbrouck, as she is
called. held a public reception
There were about 100 people who
called upon her and over 700 during
the week. She received also about
seVenty-five letters and kilograms
from friends out of the city.
Mrs. HasbrOuck was born in Ferris
burgh, VT, her maiden name being
Betsy Reynolds. Her father was a
soldier in the war Of 1912. She was
married in 1885 to Isaac Stephen Has
brouck and came in 1S49 with him 10
Oshkosh where she has resided ever
since. Previous to her marriage she
was a milliner and also was an artist
OF considerable ability. For a num-
Der Of years her husband was
proprietor Of the Brooklyn house in
Oshkosh. At that time the city was
but a small hamlet and she re-
members Of seeing four men carving
the corpse of a man past her door on
their shoulders. The deceased was a
resident of West k!goma and his re-
mains were buried on the lake shore.
There were so many trees that it was
impossible for a horse to pass and
that is the reason the men carried the
stretcher.
The Brooklyn house was for many
years the leading hotel of the city
and it was there that the ball of the
One Thousand and One club was
held. Mrs. Hasbrouck prepared the
supper and she had to secure all of
the eatables from Milwaukee. Not
even white sugar could be obtained in
Oshkosh at that time. Although her
memory is clear upon those dates
she is not clear at all upon more
recent events.
In 1860 Mr.. Hasbrouck died. Mrs.
HasbrOuck continued to keep board
ers n lived on Ceape street where
the new county jail now stands.
About eighteen years ago her eye
sight failed. The two children of her
deceased son, Romance H~asbrouck,
had been living with her, but they
have gone, the grandson to carr his
living and the granddaughter marry
ing. Therefore she gave up her home
and went to live with her son.
Charles Hasbrouck, who lives at 1877
Ninth street. Since that time she
1CoU 1SI Sy S0lSuL. one has WduS
her home with her son for seventeen
years.
Mrs. Charles H~asbrouck says of the
old lady hat for the seventeen years
she has been living with her, she
never had a word of difference with
her. She says that Mrs. Hasbrouck
spoke an unkind word TO
her sons wife and despite her au-
vanced age, she has always been
much more of a comfort than a care.
She attributes the extreme age of
her husbands mother to two things:
One is she was always happy and the
second she never took medicine. She
says that in all her life she probably
never took owe a half a teacupful Of
medicine. The old lady always had
an excuse for a person VINO made a
mistake and never condemnation.
She never reheaIsed ones faults but
as she wished to be judged, she
judged others, with love and charity
in her heart. In spite of her affection
and with her increasing years, she
maintained the same happy DISPOSE
ton and placed herself entirely in the
hands of her Maker.
She has four children living,
Charles, George, J. Matthew and
Squire Hasbrouck of Oshkosh There
are three grandchildren, Mrs. Charles
Askins and William Hasbrouck of
Ell Paso, Texas, children of Romance
Hasbrouck, who died at an early age
and whose children were brought up
by their grandmother and Edward
Hasbrouck, son Of Mr.. and Mrs.
Charles Hasbrouck, and who lives at
Fond du Lac.