The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1914-06-16
CENTENAR|AN At
CONFEDERATEH0ME
WILL CELEBRATE HER 1o2ND
BIRTHDAY NEXT SUNDAY
STILL SPRlGHTLY.

On Saturday, the Goth day of June,
1914, a lady, one of the inmates of the
Oklahoma Confederate Home, is going
to celebrate the 1U2nd anniversary Of
her birth, and in keeping with her
usual custom, viii give a birthday
party to her mere youthful friends.
Susan Ann Whittle was born in
Adams county, North Carolina, June
20, 1872 and now, after the lapse
of over one century, Is in possession
of all her faculties, and although in
capacitated from walking by a fall
some time ago, takes keen interest
in the affairs of life, and likes nothing
better than to entertain her friends
with tales of other days when history
of this great country of ours was fast
in making.
Her mother died when she was
three years of age, but her grandmoth-
er lived with her father after that
time and helped rear the subject of
This sketch. The grandmother, fol-
lowing the custom of that period, was
an inveterate smoker and Susan, then
very small girl, used to light her
grandmothers pipe for her. This was
the beginning of the habit that has
remained with her until this day, and
there is nothing she more enjoys than
a good pipe and tobacco after her
meals, and even as this was being
written she was lying on feather
bed given her by her grandmother be
fore she died, and was smoking while
being interrogated.
After the death of her grandmother
her father took care of the four chill
dren of the family and kept them to-
gether up to the time of his death
At the age of fifteen she married her
first husband, Alexander McCloud a
widower with six children. Their
married life extended over a period
of ten years, when Mr.. McCloud died,
five years afterwards she was married
to NJ c. Whittle, in Macon county,
Alabama, who, ike herself, is an
inmate of the Confederate Home.
After her second marriage, they
lived in Alabama and Mississippi un-
til the outbreak OF the war between
the states.
Mr. Whtttle promptly enlisted to
fight for the south and Mrs Whittle
began to assist in tilling the farm to
support five small children, that were
left behind when the father should n
ed his musket
After the close of hostilties Mr.. and
Mrs. Whitue and their children mDv-
ed back to Alabama, near Mobile,
but after living there for some time
they decided to come west, and settled
IN the Indian Territory, fifteen miles
south of Durant, where they lived
for a number of years.
When the Confederate Home WIS
opened here they sought admission,
were taken in, and have been inmates
OF that institution ever since.
Mrs Whittle, as above stated. sus-
tanned fall some time ago, which
caused several broken bones. and she
has suffered a partial stroke of par.
alysis, TO such an extend that she has
lost the use of her lower limbs. Other.
wise she is in good health and spirits
and says she is going to set a record
for longevity in Oklahoma.
Nothing is more interesting than
to hear her recount events of the
thrilling times through which she
passed. The war of 1912, of course
she knows only from history. but the
Mexican war, the various wars with |
the Indians in Alabama. Mississippi !
and Georgia and the Civil war are all !
as fresh in her memory as though
they were happenings of yesterday. |
The old lady enjoys company and
likes to have her friends from town |
call on her at the home. She always |
has good story to tell them. and |
comments laughingly upon the fact |
that she believes she is actually look.
ing younger every day.