The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-05-15
KIRBY WOMAN
100 YEARS
OLD TODAY
Hard Work and Vermont
Air Her Secret of Long
and Happy Life
(By Miss Gertrude Menut)


cheeks and hair of spun silver who
sleeps soundly, eats three sub
stantial meals day and does not
bother her dear old head with cal
lories and vitamins, is Mrs. Philena
Drown of Kirby, 100 vars old today
The windows of her pleasant sit
ting room face the White Noun
tains, dark purple in the distance,
and her appearance of past rug
gedness suggest the hills from
which cometh strength.
81 don't know what has made
me live so long," Mrs. Drown said
when asked the secret of her long
life, T've worked hard, eaten well
and taken good care of myself.
When | was tired | rested and I've
had plenty of good Vermont air"
1t was circulating briskly then
outside the wide, old fashioned
house sweeping straight from the
purple mountains to the green hills
beyond the farm, carrying a fra
GRANGE of pines and budding trees,
Not an ache of a pain has Mrs.
Drown. She is helpless so far as
walking is concerned but her mind
is clear, her hearing perfect and
until few years ago her sight was
good. Now she is unable to read
or sew. Her days are spent by the
fire or in the sunshine by the win
dow facing the mountains and they
are hanrv days. The loving care
she gave to others for so many
years is returned to her in full
measure. She lives largely in the
past, recalling and re-telling the
events of many years ago and she
is intensely nroud of the fact that
she has rounded out a century of
life.
For the past ten years Mrs,
Drown has made her home with
her son and daughter-in-law, ~.
and Mrs. Chandler C. Walter in
Kirby where she is surrounded by
every comfort, and where her an
niverSary today was observed by
children and grandchildren. at
isn't any different being hundred
than any other age" Mrs. Drown
told her visitors "but l wanted to
live this long"
Born in Newport, N. H., 100
years ago today, PersiS Philena
Kibby came with her parents when
very small girl to Burke. Years
before the Civil War she married
Lemuel Walter, a member of an
old Burke family. That was in 1916
Two children were born to them.
Chandler c. Walter. the son with
whom she lives and who is 75
years of age, and Philena c. Wal
ter, wife of Eugene jenkins. Mrs.
Jenkins died 10 years ago. Lemuel
Walter died in 1888 and two years
later his widow married Sewell
Drown of Burke He has been dead
II years.
Mrs. Drown loves to recall her
prowess in domestic life. When
young girl she worked out amor"
the farmers of Burke and Kirby.
81 got up considerable early, start
ed the fire in the fire place, hung
the kettle Oh the crane, went out
and MIXED, got breakfast did UP
the work and then did my spinning
stint for the day,-six seven-knot
ted Skeins, and any spinner will tell
you that is a good days work.
For this she received four Shillings
a week.
Mrs. Drown was much is demand
as a musician in her young davS.
She sang in the choir in the Baptist
church in Burke with which she
was connected for more than half
century, and even within a de
cade her fingers were able to pro
duce sweet sounds from the organ
accompanying her voice in the old
hymns she loves so well. Since she
has been unable to attend church
She has not been denied the privi-
leges of hearing 4 sermon on Sun
day as her son or daughter read
her one every Sunday afternoon.
Mrs. Drown has only the one
son, three grandchildren, Mrs. He
man Burpee of Lyndonville, Mrs.
Lynn BoWles of Franconia and
Dudley II. Walter, who lives on
the Walter farm in Kiirbv. There
is one great grandchild. She is the
oldest of her fam ~ and the only
one left. The old friends are gone
also and she is alone in her
generation, but she enjoys the
companiOnship of her children and
their friends and is a happy link
between the past and the present.