Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1904-02-29
DEATH OF ORLEANS COUN1YS
OLDEST RESIDENT.

Early on Monday morning, Feb. %,
in the one hundred and first year of
her life, passed away Mrs. Jane Keys,
the Oldest person in the town of Gov
entry, widely known and dearly
beloved.
On the 9th of last November, she
celebrated her one hundredth birth
day, and on that occasion her home
was filed with friends, to congratu-
late her on the attainment of 80 great
an age, and to bear testimony to the
love and esteem in which she was
held. A full ard interesting account
of this remarkable gathering appeared
in the MONITOR at the time it
occurred. At that time "Grandma
Keys" was enjoying the best of
health, and it was frequently
remarked through the day, by one
and another, that the dear old lady
might be spared for number of
years yet.
Since the great gathering in Novem-
Der Mrs. Keys had been as we'll as
usual until about ten days ago, when
she was taken suddenly i'll with a
sickness from which she never
rallied, even sufficiently to hold con-
versation with her loved ones. 1t
was just sudden breaking up of life's
forces, until at last she sank quietly
and peacefully forest.
Mrs. Keys was a dear old saint, if
there ever was one; and now that she
has been translated the blessed
memory of her will yet influence
many to live better life.
The funeral took place on Wednes-
day at 200 p. M, at the Methodist
church, and was conducted by the
Rsv. Milo Turner, who made very
interesting and appropriate remarks.
Rev. A. s. Bole gave an address full
of pathos and sympathy, IS one only
could give who has been so well
acquainted with the family as he has
for the past few years. The w. O. T.
u, of which organization Mrs. Keys
was a member for so many years,
sent crescent of flowers and sheaf
of wheat. The choir sang the old
familiar hymns that were the especial
favorites of the deces sed. We shall
all miss her aud mourn her loss, and
feel that noble life has gone out in
the death of our dear Mother Keys
The burial was in the Coventry
cemetery.
This seems a fitting time to publish
the historical address delivered on
the occasion of the one hundredtt
anniversary of her birth. The address
follows.
Sketch of the life of Mrs. Jane Keys
written by Rev. A. S. Bole, Congrega
tiOnal minister of Coventry, Vt. and reac
by him at the one hundIedth aDniversar!
of her birth.
Jane Keys, the subject of thi
sketch, was born in Bailaboro, Caviar
county, Ireland, on the Goth day o
November, 1903; being one Of fam
lily of eleven children, eight of whom
were girls and three of whom. were
boys.
Her fathers name was Richard
Scarlet, a nail maker by trade, AM
and born in Ireland, in the year 1850
but of Scotch parentage. Mrs. Key
tells me that her father had seen am
. heard John Wesley. the famous
founder of Methodism. Now Wesle,
was born in 1903, just one hundre
. years prior to the birth of the subjec
of this sketch; but as Wesley died a
the ripe age Of eighty eight you SCI
it was quite possible for Mrs. Keys
father to have both seen and heary
= him.
9 The mother of Mrs. Keys wa
S Prudence Fitzgerald, descendant o
/. Gerald Fitzgerald, ninth Earl of Xii
: dare, and those of US who have seel
o this stately old lady, and listened Il
d her eloquent recital of Wesley
n hymns, can readily believe that tn
: the blue blood of an Irish earl flow