- OLDEST WOMAN IN JERSEY IS DEAD -
-"Aunt Sally", 13 When Waterloo Was Fought -
-Her Boast Was That She Had Lived Through All the Administrations But the First Two -- As Active as a Woman of Eighty.-

New York, July 17, ---- Mrs Sarah Hall DOREMUS, the oldest woman in NJ, affectionately known as "Aunt Sally" is dead at home of her granddaughter, Mrs. Thomas Linnett, 26 Osborne Terr. Newark, of old age. Had she lived until Aug 13, she would have been 105 years old.

She had been failing for the last three months,but it was not until twoweeks ago that it became certain that her long life must come to an end in a short time. When Dr. Charles Young, who had been her physician for the last quarter century of her life, told Mrs. Doremus that the end was not far distant, "Aunt Sally" replied cheerfully that it was time.

She was born in Spring Valley, N.J., August 1803, the daughter of an Englishman, Philip Hall. When she was 7, her parents moved to Saddle River, N.J. where in 1824, she married John A. DOREMUS of Parsippany. There on a large farm she lived until two years ago. Her husband died more than twenty-five years ago. In 1906 she went to Newark to live with her daughter, Mrs. Sarah A. Broadwell.

Mrs. Doremus had the attribute, rare in extreme old age, of living [??] in the present rather than the past. She showed a deep contemporary interest and kept herself well informed on the events of the day. Automobile, when first introduced, interested her greatly, and two years ago she took a ride in one, showing no fear and apparently enjoying the experience. More recently airship experiments aroused her interest, and she read accounts of them closely.

But "Aunt Sally" also had a fund of reminiscences to relate, though she rarely did so unless drawn out. She had never looked her age and until the end retained all of her faculties.

Until comparitively recently she walked fair distances without percievable effort, was erect in carriage, and more vigorous than the average woman of 80. She attributed her long life to simplicity of living, open air exercise and to taking interest in every-day affairs of life. No person ever saw her bored.

Napoleon Bonaparte was no mere name of history to Mrs. Doremus, she was 12 years old when Waterloo was fought. It was "Aunt Sally's" boast that the only Presidents in whose terms of office she did not live wer George Washington, and John Adams. She was born in Jefferson's first term.

Her vigor during her last illness, surprised her physicians. Unconscious and at times seemingly dead, still her will would not yield. "I could not understand how she managed to live since last Saturday?" said Dr. Young, yesterday. "She had no strength and had taken no sustenance in many days, yet her belief that she would live was strong."

Besides her daughter, Mrs. Broadwell, Mrs Doremus is survived by a son, Abram Doremus, who lives on the farm at Parsippany. He is 80 years old. Mrs. Broadwell is 73. There are seven grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren living.

Source:
Transcription from:
The Syracuse Herald, NY.; 17 July 1908

[Funeral held and home of Mrs Linnett] [not sure of source]