The Washington times., 1915-08-20
OLDEST WOMAN IN
NY. SPRY AT It's
State Census Shows That Mrs.
Susan GiIIis, Of Brooklyn,
Holds Record.

BROOKLYN, Aug. 2o.-On the top floor
Of an old brick building at Fulton street
and Classon avenue Brooklyn sat the
oldest living person in New York State.
contentedly munching bread and stewed
pears at the age Of 115. She is Mrs.
Susan Gillis. who was a slave for sixty
three years before the Emancipation
Proclamation. That Is, Mrs. Gillis'
Erentsrandeh1dren fay they s,i know she
a few years older.
Her daughter. Mrs Julia Thomas. who
is now eighty-four and was also n
slave with her mother. was In the same
the inquisitive reporter with a none too
favorable eye. 1t was plain that she
did not fancy this sudden leap into pub
licity. But Mrs. Gilps. whose conversa-
a throaty little chuckle at "the fourth
one today" and kept on eating her
pears.
Census Bureau Tells.
| The long lived family came into no.
tice through the recent census, for
the State census bureau at Albany
sent out special story about then,.
The tald statement that Mrs. Gillis
was 1l5. no occupation" was not a
fitting description of the picturesque
olo woman VINO WAS BettinR ora our
ing the Petersburg campaign OF tho
civil war. who tended the wounded
there and whose daughter shook
hands with Lincoln.
Her once strong frame is bowed to
a tiny huddled shape. clad in neat
Ringham dress with n bandanna COW
ering her head. Her face is lined with
little wrinkles, as if all the years she
has seen had written their heavy
history there: but her eyes are bright
! and she threads needle with hend
that shakes but little.
"She Is very religious" explains her
! great-granddaughter. but one might
I imag gine that II Mrs. ellis could hnl
words to shane her thoughts she
would say that living nearly to the
age OF the republic is not exactly a
blessing. Her principal expression
| WAS: a.,
"rake me. good Lord; take me"
Her memory Of things dopsnt I
amount 10 much. and for wears she
has sat in her little corner taking cat
maps and waiting for the Lord to take
her.
Bible Is Burned.
The reason her descendants are not
| sure of her age Is that a family Bible
| which contained the records was burned
| when the home Of her master. Colonel
Petersen. was burned during the war.
| She was born on his plantation at
| Spring Garden. about sevon miles from
Petersburg. and from the time she was
| a little girl until she was set free
sho worked about the house. caring for
| the children. waiting on table. milking
the COWS and feeding the chickens. Her
| husband was also slave. but he paid
! $50 year 20 be allowed to work for
himself. He was a fisherman and was
! quite prosperous.
Mrs. Thomas recalled that the frs,
| shot If the war in her nciRhborhood
landed On the big house" lawn and
! dug a big hole. BY that time all the
/ women folk and slaves had been sent
to Petersburg. Mrs. Thomas among
them. and there she worked. caring for
the wounded until the war ended. When
President Lincoln came to the city
Mrs. Thomas said. she shook hsnds with
| him every morning fol a week.
! There are others over the century
mark IN New York state and they ART
| all women, Mrs. Nancy Sweet, of Os'
wego. lo2. and Miss Marie Hare. Of
Johnstown. l0l.