The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1920-02-12
IN HER 1O2ND YEAR.
Aunt Susan Pursley Was 1O1 Years
Old Few Days Ago.

Miss Susan Pursley, better known
"a Aunt Susan" the Oldest "hlte
woman in South Carolina so Tar a:
the records show, who remem perS
well all of the wars in which 1ne
limited States has been engaged since
tho Revolution, or rather who re
members we'll having heard some o.
those who took part in all of them
talk about them, celebrated her l0ls'
birthday a few days ago. The coming
of 1920 saw her several days into he1
1o2nd wear with every indication thai
she would see the year through and
might see many more years. There
WAS no elaborate celebration or spe'
rial exercise of any kind in connec'
tion with her passage of the centur!
mark by a margin of one year. Ine
old lady celebrated her 1O1st birth
dav on December 20, at the home Of
ber nephew, Mr.. William Erwin, OF
Glover No. 4, with whom she mas
lived for many years. She spent the
dav as she spends all of her days
now, sitting quietly by the ire re-
aecting perhaps upon events OF the
past 100 years which have come un-
der her observation.
She still has remarkably good por-
session of her faculties. Her near
ing is not as good as it once was ana
there has come with the many years
a mist over her kindly old eyes Wnlcn
is akin to blindness. She can stlli
walk a little with the aid OF a cane
and almost every day when the sun
shines brightly and the air is "arm'
che TAX a little stroll into the open
In company with Messrs. 4. Mack
Robinson and James Pursley, OF Clo-
ver and Howard McMackin, OF BETH
any. now a corporal, 4Sth ln1antrS'
Camp Jackson, representative VI
The Enquirer called to see Aunt
Susan, on her 1o2nd birthday. Sne
was alone when the visitors came.
She didn't see the Chevrolet drive
into the yard of the Erwin nome anu
she failed to hear the visitors KNOCK
nnon the door. So they just walked
In They found "Aunt Susan" seated
beside the fire.
She greeted her visitors kindly and
invited them to have chairs. Because
of her defective hearing she does not
talk very much any more, although
sha was ready enough to answer ques-
+;ons when she understood. In re-
snonse to queries she talked Of the
1..Texas war;" the "Big War;" as she
called the War Between the States
and of the recent world war.
"My health is pretty good' sne
a.;a "considering that am getting
along in years. I have never oeen
e,ck verv much in my life and l don't
remember ever being sick except
once some sixty years ago when l
was took right bad with chills and
fever. I never did have much use
,or medicine and I don't remember
ever taking much except little caio-
mo, and salts every once in while.
Talks of the Women.
.There is quite difference in the
modes and customs of the young "o-
mon Of this day as compared with
those who lived when you were
young." was suggested to the cente-
marian and the reply was, YES slr'
there is a heap of difference. Girls
and women these days don't work as
hard as they did when I was young
: euess there was more work for them
to do. I helped my mother with the
house and I helped in the fields anu
did q little bit of everything almost.
There has been lot OF cnanseo -
this country since I was a girl. IL Is
easier to make a living now accord
ing to what they all say"
eve had a very large family. There
were twelve of us children. l was
the oldest. We raised corn and Wneat
:, +bosa days. There was no cotton
and there was no farming machinery
like now. All this country was notn-
ing but woods. There were mighty
few people around and it was a strus-
gle to live. I've had to work mighty
hard
Why She Never Married.
.eNo T never married." she said, i