Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-10-14
102 YEARS OLD AND
CANNOT KEEP STILL
Mrs. Angelina Willett, Oldest
Person in Burlington, Greets
Newspaper Man on Her Birth.
day Anniversary-Mentally
Alert-Reads Without Glasses

without prayer, there's no luck" said
tne Oldest person in Burlington Friday
Mrs. Angelina Wilett of 23o North street
was celebrating her 102nd birthday ami.
versary She received an interviewer with
every evidence of lively interest. and
talked animatedly Of the past and the
present.
she Is little over five feet tall and la
as erect as a ramrod. "She Is never still
a moment" said one of her daughters.
Up to four years ago she did housework,
washed and wiped dishes busted, etc, She
has worked like n Trojan all her life.
She cannot sit still five minutes"
Her eyes are bright and twinkle with
merriment; she Is verv much mentally
alert and Keeps track Of all that is going
on all the time in the world. She rarely
uses glasses TO read. and reading Is one
of her great delights
without reading. my, don't know
what 7 would do" she exclaimed She ia
lust trifle hard OF hearing but only A
little and one does not have to raise
ones voice very much In talkiag with
her.
She is keen for AUTOMOBILE 4
her daughters do not watch =.
walks out Of the house to the mex . rs
or to the corner drug store. One knee
gives her n little trouble and for that
reason she has TO use a cane. But when
visitor comes i" 30 Is on her feet in
minute, and ir"l On rising when he
departs.
Early to he'd and early to rise and care
Of her health, to these she attributes her
longevity. Hard work has not hurt her.
She brought up n family Of II children
and has buried six Of them. The oldest
would be 80 now. Sorrow has not dim
med her outlook upon life. She is cheerful
and happy and she likes young people
and they come to see her. She had many
visitors yesterday, and flowers, too. She
loves flowers and it is beautiful to see
her enjoying a bouquet.
Every night before she goes TO bed
about nine o'clock, she messages
her body and her limbs. using alcohol
or witch hazel whichever is at hand.
She has done this for years, unassisted
At $50 in the morning she has breakfast
in he'd. Some days she has an hours rest
In the afternoon, and the remainder of
the time she is stepping about the house
She is always reluctant to go to bed at
night and would stay up II her daughters
would let her. She likes company about
her.
Lately she has been little dizzy at
times. and she does not like It. One of
her daughters said yesterday that when
any little thing ails her she objects be-
cause she has been so free from ailments
all her life
! When asked if she liked fiction. she
laughed outright. and said Sometimes
But ! like my prayer books, and I read
them, and newspaper lin French)" She
went on to say: MY mother lived to
be Is. but my grandmother lived to be
IF her
not long lived, and her children have
| died In early and middle life. While
she was bringing up her family Of H.
| assistance.
Her husband. Freeman willett died 4,
years ago at the age of %.
| In addition to reading. she sews and
she dresses herself without assistance.
She has had pneumonia three times
When influenza was raging two Years
ago she had that. too. and survived it
although she was then 100 years old
Fourteen years ago. when she was ss
she fell out of bed in a dream and broke
her collarbone
She has loved dancing all her life
When she was nearly 90 years old she
danced the minuet in public in celebra
ton of her Goth wedding anniversary and
did II beautifully, her daughters say
She had a new black silk dress made 70,
that occasion. with a little train, and
her husband objected to the train because
II helped to conceal her ankles in the
dance
Failing to look her age by 30 years
with face but little wrinkled. and
absolutely refusing to sit still Mrs
/ Willctt is still looking ahead in life