"Celebrates Her 100th Birthday"

Mrs. Sylvia Jane Wilson celebrated her 100th birthday anniversary Sunday at her home at the end of Third street, 19th avenue southeast, on South Hill at Tacoma, a large number of her nearly 100 living relatives being present. Mrs. Wilson's actual birthday was Monday following.

Mrs. Wilson was born when John Quincy Adams was president, and when the war of 1812 was as vivid as the World war is today. As a mature woman of 35, with her husband and six children she crossed the plains in 1863, and settled in this state, where she has resided ever since.

Flowers and other gifts were piled high in the living room, as friends came and went during the day while "Grandma" Wilson, active and keen-minded, greeted each in turn.

"Grandma" Wilson makes her home with her daughter, Mrs. Louise Johnson, 77, and a granddaughter, Mrs. Rachel McCarty, 61. Despite her advanced age she is able to be around the house a great deal and does much of the housework. She attributes her long life to eating three good meals a day and a light lunch at midnight, and to keeping regular house all her life.

To friends Mrs. Wilson recalled many interesting reminiscences of her early life, during the birthday reception.

"I was born in East Tennessee, and when I was 13 years old we went to Cairo, Ill.," she said. "We made the trip in a flat-bottomed boat, and from there went to Jackson county, Missouri."

"In 1863 Mrs. Wilson started across the plains with two ox teams in a train of about 100.

"We made the journey with our six children, the youngest three years old," she continued. Turning to her daughter, Mrs. Johnson, she recalled: She drove one of the teams and sat on the driver's seat with a sunbonnet pulled over her face to keep from getting sunburned."

"We were never bothered by the Indians during the whole trip," she said, "although sometimes they gathered around and asked for food, and we gave them food and other things to keep them friendly."

"We took a claim at Boistfort, Wash., after we arrived here, where I lived until five years ago, when I came here to make may home.

"I had eight children and raised two grandsons; two of the children died, and the others are Mrs. Johnson, at home; Mrs. Melissa Givens of Boistfort; Mrs. Alice Weadge of Bellingham, and Mrs. Eliza White of Los Angeles; John Wilson of Curtis and George Wilson of Winlock. All were at the party except Mrs. White.

Mrs. Wilson was married September 4, 1848, to Willis Moore, who died, and on August 2, 1853, to George Wilson. She has 33 grandchildren and several great-great-grandchildren. At the party Sunday there were two distinct lines of five generations each.

More than 150 relatives and immediate friends connections were among the many guests Sunday, coming from Tacoma, Chehalis, Curtis, Hoquiam, Bellingham, Elma, Puyallup, Olympia, Pasco, Ceres, Quinault, Centralia, Seattle, Aberdeen, Winlock, Klaber, Ridgefield and Ryderwood in Washington; Yuba City, Los Angeles and Redlands, Calif. and Denver, Colo.

An unusual feature of the celebration was the display of a photograph taken about a score of years ago, showing the 100th birthday celebration of Mrs. Wilson's mother, held in Princeton, Mo. Two of the relatives who were present Sunday were also at the former celebration, W. T. Harper and Mrs. N. T. Hyde, who both came from California. Mrs. Wilson's mother lived for four more birthdays after her 100th.


Source: The Chehalis Bee-Nugget, 22 Jun 1928, page 10.

Transcribed by Diana Smith. She has no further information on this individual.