The chronicle-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1920-1941, 1940-07-19
GAUTIER NECRESS CELEBRATES
TOOTH BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY
WITH PARTY THURSDAY. JULY IS
White And Negro Population of Community Pay Tribase
To Highly Respected
Centenarian

Annt Saphae nlzsa eesuaes
nexTe woman. ceieatntaH har osss
hzn1rcath hlr4hdAy. IN THURSDAY.
Saiy H. she a~tuEhu1ed her inna
life ~ as she Expressed Ia Nosh-
tnx bur Ire GOOD Lord
Aunt 8oxShie- wAa born nk0ut
Jaly -. iB<0 twrnsy-eigat mikes up
Tie P~aacaxcaiA RsseG. near Amer.
cS&. old County SEAT az jackson
cuanty. In 1881. che year Abraham
Lncnln became President at ire
United States. she was married 10
Andrew RIbo. The ceremony was
performed By Squire John Reeves.
NhEfs- Fruun this uafun there we're
twenty two children horn three of
them living today. Bunxte nlibo NO
bile Emma Eawards.C Chicago and
Theresa Smith. Gautisx SnR makes
her home with Theresa, youngest
q her children. and her family.
three generations living toeethef
There are thirteen grandnhilren
eleven Ereat-grnndehlldren. and
fourteen g~reAt~great grandchildren.
Most az her children we're named
after Some member q the 0ausief
family. for whom she cooked for
many years. Her husband. Andres.
worked for many years for Fernando
Gauiier. father Of the late M
Walter oautter.
she recalled hSr days az slavery
before the negroes we're freed Her
family was not separated during
this time. as the whole family were
slaves 10 the JOHNNIE Byrd family
IN Gautier. she firmly stated that
the only licking she ever re-
ceived was from her mother. when
she dlsobeyed.
As q slave. her husband belonged
70 Cadmus Alley. father Of the late
G. H Alley Of PascaRoula.
she remembers vhrn the railroad
that runs through Cautier was laid
and the first two automobiles %
come 20 Pnscagoula. For many
years. the only lights her family
knew were candles. which they
made themselves She explained IN
detail the process OF eandlemAkine
She can neither read uor write. has
never attended n school. but can
count and tel the time.
She has known the Gautier fam
lily since q young girl In her twen-
ties. having worked for them many
years
Although q hundred years old. she
still sewS. piecing quilts. and makes
an sven and fine seam. she
threads her OWL needles. and says
she has never worn glasses be
cause she can't see through them. =
She stays in doors most OF the time
and during the past two years she
has G walked further than the
depot which Is only q short dis
lance from her door. While she
talked she held q corncob pipe IN
her hand, and proudly stated she
had never smoked 9 cigarette, but
had smoked q pipe for seventy
years.
A reception was held in her honor
in the post office building IN Gau-
tier. and all the white and colored
residents Of that community called
during the afternoon 70 wish Aunt
Sophie" a very happy birthday.
Punch vas served. but she refused
70 let them cut the beautiful birth
day cake. baked by Mrs. l. g. VIM
terton. Her picture is to be made
tomorrow with 1t in her lap. The
traditional cake, white with pink
icing, Happy Birthday and the
fun one hundred candles. was dis
played upon q lace cover. Flowers
decorated the room. Guests that
came brought silver offerings and
gifts. A devout Christian herself. of
the Baptist faith. the colored pastor
offered a prayer and the colored
quartet sang appropriate songs.
She says she win be grateful II
she lives 70 9 another birthday.
the years seem to be only q few
days apart. Although In good
health, her memory slips nov and
then. and At times even forgets her
childrenis names.
Had It not been for Hrs. c. L
Clifford. this day might have slip
ped by unnoticed, who suggested TO
friends yesterday that they have q
celebration for this respected old
woman. AL her friends AND neigh
bors JON together In wishing AUNT
Sophie" many more birthdays like
the one she 50 thoroughly enjoyed
today.