Smyrna times., 1948-06-17
KENTON WOMAN
100 YEARS OLD
Mrs. Emily Dawson Reaches
Century Mark Today at
Home of Daughter
IN KENTON so YEARS

kept neT III SOOu uSdllil oil hSi 4AS,
is today celebrating her Tooth
birthday anniversary at her daugh-
ter's home in Kenton. In whole
century of living full and useful
life she has never resided outside
of Kent County, Delaware, al
though in her younger years she
travelled extensively-visiting rela-
tives all over the country. Born
June II, 1S48, in South Murderkill
Hundred-one hundred years ago
today-she was the daughter of
Rev. John and Ann Erwin. They
lived on a farm just outside of
what is now FELTON, although at
that time there was no such town.
FELTON, was laid out eight years
later, in 1856. She was old enough
to remember when the first rail-
road in southern Delaware was
built and the coming of the first
iron horse. John M. Clayton,
Delaware's famous statesman, was
called to Washington to serve on
President Zachary Taylor's cabinet
as Secretary of State before Emily
Ann Erwin was a year old. Her
girlhood days were that typical of
a minister's daughter. She organ
lied and directed the first choir at
Ervin's Chapel, a Methodist Chapel
that her father had founded in
Sandtown. She has always en-
joyed singing and indeed comes
from family of singers. Within
the past several years, one of her
nephews collapsed and died while
enroute to New York radio
broadcasting studio where he was
to sing. She was kept busy at
quilting and sewing parties and
still found time to raise sheep, cut
and spin the wool and make it into
cloth. Remember, in those days
there were no automobiles, air
planes and juke boxes and people
made their own recreation.
Raised Family of Ten Children
She was 18 when she met and
married James Dawson. The
couple raised family of ten chill
dren-some of whom are still liv-
ing. Mr.. Dawson died 25 years
ago. Mrs. Dawson was a young
girl in her teens when Lincoln
signed the Emancipation PROCLAIM
alton and when Congress passed
the Fourteenth Amendment. These
two official acts, incidentally, caus-
ed much perturbance among Della
wareans, who were at that time
divided in their feelings toward
Southern rebels and Northern I'M
ionists. This bitterness fingered on
for many years after the conclu-
sion of the Civil War. MRS. Daw-
son can well remember when Civil
War draftees would buy their way
out of the Army by paying some
one else to take their place in uni
form.
Lived in Kenton Fifty Years
When she came to Kenton over
fifty years ago the town was much
smaller than it is today. Practic-
ally all its buildings were located
right on the Smyrna-Sudlersville
road. A hotel stood on the site
where Moores store is now locat-
ed. Mrs. Dawson thought that the
automobile was the most wonder
full invention of them all and she
has always enjoyed riding in one,
singing most of the trip, although
she has never driven. However,
she has no use for airplanes. Her
chief hobby is collecting jewelry.
Her children who are still living
are Mrs. Mary Joiner, Philadel-
phia; Mrs Jane Feldstien, San
Francisco; Mrs. Roxanna Bowers,
Philadelphia; James E. Dawson,
Gibsonia, Pa, and Mrs. Alice Big
er, Kenton.
Receivers From Broken Hip
Since she fell and broke her hip
last year she has been living in
room adjacent to Mrs. Biger's
grocery store in Kenton. Yet, she
can still make her own bed and at
tend to her own clothing-keeping
them in an orderly fashion in her
wardrobe. Even today she re-
tains her lifelong healthy appetite,
eating three solid meals a day that
would make any young man sit up
and take notice. Before she re-
tires at night she takes pleasure in
indulging in a slice of dry bread
and glass of water.
What does Emily Ann Dawson
want most for her Tooth birthday?
Why, nothing more than to receive
100 birthday cards from friends
one for each year of her life