Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 82, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 January 1918 — OBSERVES 90TH ANNIVERSARY [ARTICLE]

OBSERVES 90TH ANNIVERSARY

“Aunt” Mary Jane Hopkins Second Oldest Person in the County. “Aunt” Mary Jane Htopkins, probably the oldest continuous resident of Rensselaer and of Jasper county —coming here in the spring of 1845 and we believe the second oldest person now living in the county, being exceeded in age only, so far r.s we know, by “Uncle” John Stively, father of Mrs. Mattie Sharp of Rensselaer, who will be ninety-five years old next May—celebrated her ninetieth anniversary at her home on Park avenue Thursday. Many old friends and neighbors called during the day to pay their respects, and Mrs. Hopkins was the recipient of numerous gifts which, it was thought,, would be most appreciated by her. Notwithstanding her great age Mrs. Hopkins is quite smart most of the time and her eyesight is as good as that of many people half her years, while her hearing is also very good, indeed. Her mind is as bright and clear as ever and it is interesting to hear her relate happenings and incidents of the early history of Jasper county of sixty or seventy years ago when the noble red man was plentiful in this section of the state and she used to go canoe riding on the placid Iroquois with the young warriors of the tribe, which had its headquarters at Huntington but used to come here to hunt and fish. Her second husband, J. D. Hopkins, died in 1892, and she has since lived alone in her property on Park avenue, her only son, Homer Hopkins Of Monticello, paying her frequent visits. “Aunt” Mary Jane enjoyed the calls and greetings of old friends immensely and desires to thank them cordially for remembering her. Among the greetings received were those from Dr. H. L. Brown and family, now at Palatka, Florida, which came by telegraph Thursday morning. That “Aunt” Mary Jane may live to celebrate her one-hundredth anniversary, is the wish of her many friends. „