ENGLEWOOD, N.J. (AP) - New Jersey’s oldest resident, who once claimed beer and whisky kept her spry, has died at the age of 112.
The Record reports (https://njersy.co/2vaGtFC ) Agnes Fenton, of Englewood, died Thursday morning, according to a caretaker Lamont Saunders, of Teaneck. She’s listed in Gerontology Wiki’s oldest living people in the U.S.
Fenton was born in Holly Springs, Mississippi, in 1905 and previously owned a restaurant in Tennessee.
She was one of the first black women to own a restaurant in the state.
Fenton had lived in Englewood since the 1950s, after she moved to the state with her second husband. He died in 1970.
Although she had no children, she remained active in the church community of St. Mark’s Church in New York throughout her life. She was looked after by neighbors, firefighters and Saunders, whose mother was a friend of Fenton’s.
Fenton was prescribed alcohol by a doctor for a benign tumor in 1943. She took heed, drinking Miller High Life and Johnnie Walker Blue Label daily for decades. When interviewed on her 110th birthday, Fenton credited the routine for her longevity. Old age eventually forced Fenton to quit drinking, Saunders said.
She said Fenton remained mentally sharp and while she might not remember whether she took her medication that day, she could recall any part of her life in detail.
Fenton always reminded those close to her of the importance of having God in their lives.
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This story has been corrected to say Fenton’s restaurant was located in Tennessee, not Mississippi.
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Information from: The Record (Woodland Park, N.J.), https://www.northjersey.com
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