Newsletter Archives

Catch up on the latest in family history with these articles from GenealogyBank News

February 2014 Newsletter


Past Issue Archive

Select the month and year below


FREE Newsletter!

Get online search tips, exclusive offers and other helpful information to aid your genealogy research.

Did Your Ancestor Live to 100?

How old was your oldest ancestor? A 2011 Huffington Post article reported that the "Number of Centenarians Is Booming in U.S." It went on to comment that the number of people who celebrate a triple digit birthday has doubled in the last 20 years and today numbers approximately 72,000 people. It is predicted that in the future the number of centenarians will likely at least double again.*

It's no wonder that the number of people reaching 100 years of age is increasing; decreases in infant mortality, combined with better medical and preventative health care, have enhanced life expectancy. While there's a greater chance of someone today knowing or being related to a centenarian, in an earlier time—lacking these modern improvements—living to be 100 years of age would have been something short of a miracle.

When one of our ancestors did reach the age of 100 it was a newsworthy event, most likely reported in the local newspaper. Searching through an online newspaper collection like GenealogyBank's Historical Newspaper Archives is a good way to find these centenarian articles—and they can be very helpful with your family history research.

Newspaper articles reporting these birthday milestones largely concentrated on the birthday celebration, often interviewing the honoree about historical events witnessed and their recommendations for longevity. Along with being interesting news stories, the added benefit to these articles is that they often include genealogically relevant information—including the date and place where the centenarian was born, their parents' names, and other family information.

100 Years of History

One of the benefits of living a long life is the history that you witness. Look at this newspaper article about Jabez Chapman, whose life was written up during his 99th year in 1895. This interview has him reminiscing about the War of 1812, the death of President George Washington, and his interactions with James Fenimore Cooper, the author of the classic novel Last of the Mohicans.


Idaho Register (Idaho Falls, Idaho),
20 December 1895, page 3

If you want to know more about Chapman's life, check out the timeline following him through federal and state censuses in the blog post titled Point of View: State Censuses Fill the Gaps, by Jean Chapman Snow. So you may be wondering: did Chapman make it to his 100th birthday? After finding his death certificate, Snow confirms that Jabez Chapman died at 100 years, 3 months and 16 days.

The Oldest Living Spinster

While some newspaper articles about those who are 100+ center around what history they've lived through or what famous people they've met, in some cases it's what the centenarians can still accomplish that is the biggest news. Consider this article from a 1905 Nebraska newspaper about Miss Eliza Williams. The article points out that she is in such good shape for her age that she is the first person up in the household and is able to dress herself. Once ready for the day, she reads a hymn and a chapter from the Bible. The article gives the impression that she would do much more including sewing (which she gave up at 98 years of age), but her family persuaded her to "save her strength."


Omaha World Herald (Omaha, Nebraska),
23 August 1905, page 7

Of course no discussion of those who have reached such a momentous milestone would be complete without getting some advice about what the centenarian's secret is. Miss Eliza Williams replies to this question: "obedience to her parents, and not meddling with other people's business when it could do her no good."

What's a Birthday without a Stiff Drink?

The great thing about being older is the ability to say what you want and not worry what people will think. That's also what makes reading these articles about 100th birthdays so much fun. Consider this short but sweet newspaper article, including a photo, of the birthday "boy" John H. Whitmore, a former prison warden. Unfortunately, due to prohibition, he didn't get the alcoholic beverage he would have preferred to celebrate with—but instead tried his first ice cream soda. Judging from his comments, ice cream sodas are not the preferred beverage of 100-year-old men.


Miami District Daily News (Miami, Oklahoma), 12 August 1919, page 5

Check Your Family Tree

Do you have someone in your family tree that lived to be 100 years old? It wasn't too long ago that such a feat was rewarded with recognition in the newspaper. Just as we should research newspapers for milestone celebrations such as a 50th wedding anniversary, don't forget to search for mentions of an ancestor who lived a long life or celebrated a milestone birthday.

[Editor's note: this article was adapted from a post Gena Philibert-Ortega wrote for the GenealogyBank Blog.]

-----------------------------------------

* Number of Centenarians Is Booming in U.S. by Matt Sedensky. April 26, 2011. Accessed 29 December 2013.