The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-06-06
ACE NO BAR To
NONAGENARIANS
HAPPY PARTIES
Mrs. Sarah Walker Cengrntuiates
ss-Yeax-OId; Mrs. Reeves Ac-
tive With Sewing.

Mrs. Sarah A. Walker. not salts
fed in celebrating such a trivial
matter as her 9sth birthday ami
versary, yesterday afternoon went
TO Lincoln park. where she assisted
in the celebration of the seth birth
day anniversary of her friend. Mrs.
Sarah A. Thompson, 1106 Thirty
sixth street.
FamiIiary known among her fam
lily and friends, as Grandma
Great" Mrs Walker, who has re-
sided at the home of her daughter.
Mrs. ]. II. Park, 1856 Fortleth
street, 35 years, yesterday was sur
rounded by her immediate family
in observance OF her s6th natal day.
"Grandma Walker" believes in
the slogan "one is just as old as
one feels" and her activity IL
household duties and little tasks
which she delights in doing is re-
markable for her advanced age.
Part OF the joy in her living comes
through her willingness to help her
family in it's daily duties.
UentE AttCbus
Four generations gathered in the
Park residence yesterday to pay re-
spects to the elder Mrs. Walker.
During the entire day she was re-
cipient OF many flowers from her
friends in the neighborhood and
relatives from a distance, who were
unable to be at the celebration. The
members of the immediate family
gathered for dinner at noon and
after the meal, Grandma Walker
was taken to Lincoln park, where
she attended the birthday party for
Mrs. Thompson, who is a mem Der
of the same church which Mrs.
Walker attends.
Mrs. Walker attends the Centen-
airy Methodist church regularly ev-
cry Sunday. walking three block
without assistance. She attended
the laying of the corner stone re
Gently and stood through the cere-
mony with the rest of the audi
ence. She still reads her library
books and felt as though she hard
ly had time yesterday to lay aside
her book in observance of the mere
celebration of a seth birthday-as
she looks at It. She never speaks
of her age and thinks she is young
at So.
Tells Interesting Things.
Living through a period of 96
years, Mrs. Walker has many in
teresting things to tell. Some OF
the greatest developments of which
she can tell are the development
of lighting which she can trace to a
time when a piece of rag was used
in a dish of oil, then to the candle
the oil lamp and finally the mar
velous incandescent light. Another
development-from the ox-sled to
the automobile.
Mrs. Walker comes from old
Pennsylvania stock, being born
in Athens township, Pa, June s.
1895. She was married there Sept
Is, 1S45. Her husband preceded heT
in death. in 1887.
One of the interesting members
in Mrs. Walkers family is Pleiades
Hill, her great granddaughter
eighteen months OF age who
boasts of having seven grand
parents Miss Pieiades has
four grandparents on her mother S
side OF the family and three on her
fathers side.
Mrs. Walker is held in great
esteem by the members of her fam
lily and the entire neighborhood In
which she lives. None can speak
too highly OF her and her liyeliness
and loving disposition is respected
by everyone who knows her.
Those in attendance at the Park
hi
1 sary were:
. John Walker. son. Beloit. Wis
Mrs. L. J. Hill and Mrs J. H. Park
daughters, Rock Island; Mrs. Hat,
tie Reynolds. granddaughter; M 5
Ora Reynolds. great granddaugh-
ter; A. p. Hill. grandson and wife
Miss Pleiades Hill great grand.
daughter; J. H. Park. son-in-law
G. ". Hill. grandson, and Mrs Hat
tie Good, a friend, all of Rock Is
land
Mrs. Reeves Is 30.
Illinois City. June 6-Mrs. Mary
Reeves was the life of the party
Sunday when relatives and friends
from far and near gathered in the
Reeves home to pay their respects
to the head OF the house, who yes
terday was 80 years old Mrs.
Reeves is a great-great grandmoth-
er. and all but one of the five gen
erations was represented at the
all-day festival which marked the
birthday anniversary Of the hos
tess.
Although nonagenarian, Mrs.
Reeves is still self-supporting, and
she will continue to be as long as
she is able to make crazy" quilts
and sunbonnets. For 80 years.
since the death OF her husband, she
has made quilts and bonnets. which
have sold readily during all these
years. Her ability as a maker OF
these articles has won for her
quite q reputation in the lower end
af the county.
Mrs. Reeves supported her fam
lily during the Civil war, while her
husband was In the ranks OF Union
men. AS bread winner during the
period Of the conflict one OF her
tasks was to ride q mule 12 to is
miles TO the mills. where the sack
Of corn she carried was transform
ed into meal
For so years Mr.. Reeves has been
active in the work OF the woman's
aid OF Illinois City. She led the
crusade which resulted in the
elimination Of saloons from Illinois
City.