Mrs. Sophia M. DeMuth, who at 111 years of age had lived longer than any other person in the state's history, died Friday night at her home northeast of Ayr.
Mrs. DeMuth, who was born June 30, 1866, at St. Joseph, Mo., had resided on the Ayr area farm since 1907, a house built by her late husband, Oliver, who died in 1965 at the age of 101.
She had related often the fact that she was an acquaintance of the infamous Jesse James, who lived two blocks from her home at St. Joseph. She remembers when he was shot and killed on 1882. She was 16 years old at that time.
Striking out on her own at the age of 16, she had gone to California and worked in a shirt factory during the Spanish-American War. She said she turned out three dozen shirts a day at that job, for which she received a salary of $11 a week.
Her husband-to-be courted her in an unusual way, she recalled during an interview several years ago. Oliver rode a bicycle from his home at Hastings to see her when she still lived at St. Joseph. On several occasions he drove a horse-drawn buggy the approximate 500 round trip.
They were married Oct. 25, 1899, and she spent her wedding night on a farm near Juniata. She and her husband also resided at Toulon, Ill., and in North Dakota before moving to the Ayr vicinity 70 years ago. He was a farmer and cattleman.
Since her husband's death, she had been cared for by a daughter, Jennie DeMuth. Other survivors are daughters Mrs. Emma Hunter of Hastings and Mrs. Marie Fulkerson of St. Joseph; a son, Joe DeMuth of rural Ayr, and four grandchildren.
Mrs. DeMuth was the only person who was older than the State of Nebraska, born a year before Nebraska was admitted into the union.
The centenarian plus 11 years had experienced excellent health and at age 108 her daughter, Jennie, said her mother was not taking any kind of medication, her hearing was sharp, but her eyesight was failing. Before that time she had been an avid reader and seamstress.
Private graveside services will be Monday at the Blue Valley Cemetery near Ayr. Friends may visit Sunday at Brand-Wilson Mortuary.
Sat 3 Dec 1977 Front Page HDT
Mrs. DeMuth, who was born June 30, 1866, at St. Joseph, Mo., had resided on the Ayr area farm since 1907, a house built by her late husband, Oliver, who died in 1965 at the age of 101.
She had related often the fact that she was an acquaintance of the infamous Jesse James, who lived two blocks from her home at St. Joseph. She remembers when he was shot and killed on 1882. She was 16 years old at that time.
Striking out on her own at the age of 16, she had gone to California and worked in a shirt factory during the Spanish-American War. She said she turned out three dozen shirts a day at that job, for which she received a salary of $11 a week.
Her husband-to-be courted her in an unusual way, she recalled during an interview several years ago. Oliver rode a bicycle from his home at Hastings to see her when she still lived at St. Joseph. On several occasions he drove a horse-drawn buggy the approximate 500 round trip.
They were married Oct. 25, 1899, and she spent her wedding night on a farm near Juniata. She and her husband also resided at Toulon, Ill., and in North Dakota before moving to the Ayr vicinity 70 years ago. He was a farmer and cattleman.
Since her husband's death, she had been cared for by a daughter, Jennie DeMuth. Other survivors are daughters Mrs. Emma Hunter of Hastings and Mrs. Marie Fulkerson of St. Joseph; a son, Joe DeMuth of rural Ayr, and four grandchildren.
Mrs. DeMuth was the only person who was older than the State of Nebraska, born a year before Nebraska was admitted into the union.
The centenarian plus 11 years had experienced excellent health and at age 108 her daughter, Jennie, said her mother was not taking any kind of medication, her hearing was sharp, but her eyesight was failing. Before that time she had been an avid reader and seamstress.
Private graveside services will be Monday at the Blue Valley Cemetery near Ayr. Friends may visit Sunday at Brand-Wilson Mortuary.
Sat 3 Dec 1977 Front Page HDT
Mrs. Sophia M. DeMuth, who at 111 years of age had lived longer than any other person in the state's history, died Friday night at her home northeast of Ayr.
Mrs. DeMuth, who was born June 30, 1866, at St. Joseph, Mo., had resided on the Ayr area farm since 1907, a house built by her late husband, Oliver, who died in 1965 at the age of 101.
She had related often the fact that she was an acquaintance of the infamous Jesse James, who lived two blocks from her home at St. Joseph. She remembers when he was shot and killed on 1882. She was 16 years old at that time.
Striking out on her own at the age of 16, she had gone to California and worked in a shirt factory during the Spanish-American War. She said she turned out three dozen shirts a day at that job, for which she received a salary of $11 a week.
Her husband-to-be courted her in an unusual way, she recalled during an interview several years ago. Oliver rode a bicycle from his home at Hastings to see her when she still lived at St. Joseph. On several occasions he drove a horse-drawn buggy the approximate 500 round trip.
They were married Oct. 25, 1899, and she spent her wedding night on a farm near Juniata. She and her husband also resided at Toulon, Ill., and in North Dakota before moving to the Ayr vicinity 70 years ago. He was a farmer and cattleman.
Since her husband's death, she had been cared for by a daughter, Jennie DeMuth. Other survivors are daughters Mrs. Emma Hunter of Hastings and Mrs. Marie Fulkerson of St. Joseph; a son, Joe DeMuth of rural Ayr, and four grandchildren.
Mrs. DeMuth was the only person who was older than the State of Nebraska, born a year before Nebraska was admitted into the union.
The centenarian plus 11 years had experienced excellent health and at age 108 her daughter, Jennie, said her mother was not taking any kind of medication, her hearing was sharp, but her eyesight was failing. Before that time she had been an avid reader and seamstress.
Private graveside services will be Monday at the Blue Valley Cemetery near Ayr. Friends may visit Sunday at Brand-Wilson Mortuary.
Sat 3 Dec 1977 Front Page HDT
Mrs. DeMuth, who was born June 30, 1866, at St. Joseph, Mo., had resided on the Ayr area farm since 1907, a house built by her late husband, Oliver, who died in 1965 at the age of 101.
She had related often the fact that she was an acquaintance of the infamous Jesse James, who lived two blocks from her home at St. Joseph. She remembers when he was shot and killed on 1882. She was 16 years old at that time.
Striking out on her own at the age of 16, she had gone to California and worked in a shirt factory during the Spanish-American War. She said she turned out three dozen shirts a day at that job, for which she received a salary of $11 a week.
Her husband-to-be courted her in an unusual way, she recalled during an interview several years ago. Oliver rode a bicycle from his home at Hastings to see her when she still lived at St. Joseph. On several occasions he drove a horse-drawn buggy the approximate 500 round trip.
They were married Oct. 25, 1899, and she spent her wedding night on a farm near Juniata. She and her husband also resided at Toulon, Ill., and in North Dakota before moving to the Ayr vicinity 70 years ago. He was a farmer and cattleman.
Since her husband's death, she had been cared for by a daughter, Jennie DeMuth. Other survivors are daughters Mrs. Emma Hunter of Hastings and Mrs. Marie Fulkerson of St. Joseph; a son, Joe DeMuth of rural Ayr, and four grandchildren.
Mrs. DeMuth was the only person who was older than the State of Nebraska, born a year before Nebraska was admitted into the union.
The centenarian plus 11 years had experienced excellent health and at age 108 her daughter, Jennie, said her mother was not taking any kind of medication, her hearing was sharp, but her eyesight was failing. Before that time she had been an avid reader and seamstress.
Private graveside services will be Monday at the Blue Valley Cemetery near Ayr. Friends may visit Sunday at Brand-Wilson Mortuary.
Sat 3 Dec 1977 Front Page HDT
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