New Britain herald., 1916-01-28
LIVES TO BE lOl;
 SUCCUMbS TO GRIP Mrs. Phoebe C. CoWles, Plain-
 Ville's Oldest Resident, Dead
 ..- TOWNS oNLY. CENTENARIAN
Born in Scott's Swamp District in 1914 and Had Made Her Home in New Britain Suburb all Her Life-Funer- aI Monday.
Especial to the IIerald.)


 Plainville, Jan. 2S-The death of Mrs. Phoebe Champion Cowles, which occurred this morning at her home on Broad street. following an illness of about two weeks. marks the pass ing of Plainville's most beloved resi- dent, the towns only centenarian and one of the oldest women in the state. Mrs. Cowles was in her 102nd year, having passed her 101st birthday on Septem Der IS. Her condition had been precarious for the past week and her death had been expected since Sun day.
 The funeral will be held Monday, afternoon at 2 o'clock from her homo. Services will be conducted at the house, Rev. F. L. Grant, pastor of the Congregational church of which she had been an active member for a great many years. officiating. Inter- ment will be in the Cowles plot i'll the Scotts Swamp cemetery.
 Born in 1914.
 Mrs.. Cowles' long and wonderful career which ended today had it's be- ginning in the Scott's Swamp district, where she was born on September IS, 1914. She first saw the light on a farm located about a quarter of a mile west of Scott's Swamp corners in Pennington and now owned by August Anderson. Her father, Stephen Crampton, was born on the same place forty years before her. Her mother, Amy Root, was member of one of the best known families in this section in her day. She was born and married in the old Elm Tree house, on Meals court, which was razed a fey years ago. PlainVille was then a part of Pennington, the two places not having been separated un- til several years after Mrs. CoWles birth. -a-.
 Nearly seventy-fve years ago Phoebe Crampton became the bride of Ezel<ial Cowies a well known agricul- turalist and the couple went to live on a farm in ScOtt'S Swamp, her huo band cultivating the land on which First Selectman W. J. Johnson now makes his home.
 Four children. two of whom died in infancy, were born to them. The two surviving daughters, the Misses Elizabeth and Katherine Cowles re- side on Broad street. having always made their home with their mother. Her husband died nearly thirty years ago.
 Charitable and Quiet.
 Mrs. Cowles was 8 woman of love able character and many benefited by her benevolences during her long live. Never given to Ostentation, she performed her good works quietly and and her charities were known to few. She was a prominent church work CT and for a great many years shs was active in the affairs. of the Con- gregational church.
 Besides raising her own family, Mrs. Cowles and her husband also brought up a grand niece and nephew Mrs. Frederick Barnes, who lives in the far west, and Frank Buell., resi- dent of Plainville. Selectman John- son also made his home with them during his early life. He naturally has taken a great interest in the aged woman and assisted her daughters in looking after her during the last years of her life.
 Possessed all Her Faculties.
 Although she had passed the cen. tury mark, Mrs. Cowles enjoyed good health and was in full possession of all her faculties until two weeks ago when she became i'll with grip. She was able to read and write with bet ter success than many people much younger. She was interested in cur. rent events and until her illness kept we'll Informed on the happenings of the day. Her "reminiscences were source of great interest to her friends as she spent her entire life in thi7 section and had watched it grow from a big expans of uncultivated land with but few houses to a hustlinE community, with thousands of people living where but a hundred or so made their homes during her child hood.
 She was the possessor of a won derful1y rugged constitution and she battled bravely against her sickness Doctors attending her believed week ago that she could live but q day longer. Her great vitality was most apparent, however, and she struggled along until o'clock this morning she passed quietly away.