The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-05-21
I.EAOS ACTIVE LIFE
DESPITE GREAT AGE
Aunt Hester" COrdrey, at 112,
Lives Alone and Farms Truck
Patch Unaided.
JUST LOST FIRST TOOTH
AND Is ALL WROUGHT UP
In Younger Days Helped Father
Farm While Brothers
We're at War.

Mrs. Hester Cordrey, better known as
Aunt Hcster.'' who is living in Del
mar, Del, at the age of 112, no doubt
is the oldest woman in this section of
the country Very few persons have
better health than she, not having
known days sickness until a short
time ago. She says the worse pain
she ever experienced is the toothache
which she has been suffering with for
the past month but she had the tooth
drawn yesterday, it being the only
tooth she has lost,
Mrs. Cordrey was born about nine
miles east of Delmar. February IL,
1897. She was the youngest child of
Hamilton Neal, wealthy farmer
When il wears of age her mother died,
leaving her and her father to run the
farm ell her sisters, numbering
twclyc 'pi Hccn married early, and her
two ...t.,.s were IN the war of lSl2,
from which they came out without in
jury.
*Aunt Hester said the other day:
60 out and work on the farm like the
men. Many days have | plowed all
day and come to the barn after dark
and done the milking, which consisted
of seven cows There were only two
of the boys and father, and in those
DAYS it was no disgrace for girl to
work, so we used TO help out and save
hiring extra labor.
Claws. man If n girl now was to
20 out and plant corn or cut wheat. she
would be looked on like slave. but
those DAYS they were praised up for he
ing industrious II girls of these years
would do more work and think less OF
their 'parlor. they will be more healthy
and live longer.
Lives Alone in Own House.
"Aunt Hester has been married
twice. her first husband. Levin Moore,
lived only three years. She later mar
ried Elisha Cordrey. who died in 1864.
and who was the father Of ner only
child. After her last husband s death
she built a home in Delmar on the lot
purchased by her for $75, which is now
valued at $1,000. This was one of the
first houses built on the west side of
tho railroad track, and has been her
home for the last fortythree years.
RaJacr than bother her grapi or great
grandshildrcn. Aunt Hester lives IN
this house all by ncrself. although they
have tried to pe:suad her 10 leave il.
There are two large lots attached TO
her house. IN which she grows potatoes,
onions. corn and other vegetables. which
she sells in the local markets. All these
vegetables arc cultivated by her. Often
she becomes so fatigucd by using a hoe
that she gets large cooking spoon and
crawls down the rows on Ter knees,
working the truck with spoon. lu ad-
dition 10 this she also .loes her own
cooking sewing and washing and sll
household work. and also has a large
nunbcr OF Thoroughbred brown leghorn
chickens, Of which she is very fond and
IN winch she takes greaS interest.
AIRS Anna Carmin", VINO was &c oplr
daughter Gf "Aunt IIcster,' was tie
mother OF fifteen children. four of whom
rre living. They are; Mrs, U. Grant
Nelson Of Delmar; Mrs. Alice Davis,
wife of Rev f. G. Davis of Emporium,
Va; Levin Carmine of Behoboth and
James CArmine of Preston. Mo. Mrs.
Cordrey also has ten greds graudshili-
ren.-Philajclphia Record.