New Jersey’s oldest resident dies at 112 – The Philadelphia Tribune

ENGLEWOOD, N.J. New Jerseys oldest resident, who once claimed beer and whisky kept her spry, has died at the age of 112.

The Record of Bergen County reported that Agnes Fenton, of Englewood, N.J., died Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017, according to a caretaker Lamont Saunders, of Teaneck, N.J. Shes listed in Gerontology Wikis 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. Marks Church in New York throughout her life. She was looked after by neighbors, firefighters and Saunders, whose mother was a friend of Fentons.

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.

She was among 1,643 New Jersey residents who were at least 100 years old in 2010 280 men and 1,363 women, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. While their numbers are growing, centenarians made up a scant .02 percent of the population, or about one in every 5,350 state residents.

Fenton became the oldest living person in New Jersey when Adele Dunlap died at 114 in February.

Fentons unusual longevity garnered her both local and national attention. She was one of 360 to 600 people on the planet to become a supercentenarian, based on estimates by the Gerontology Research Group and the New England Centenarian Study at Boston University School of Medicine. A supercentenarian is someone who has reached 110 years.

At the time, Englewood proclaimed Agnes Fenton Day to celebrate her milestone birthday, and she received letters from the governor and President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama to congratulate her.

At 105, she became part of a study of human longevity at Boston University Medical Center, was interviewed by Diane Sawyer and had a portrait painted by Ahmad Stokes, who painted President Obama.

Saunders said the funeral arrangements have not yet been finalized. (AP)

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New Jersey's oldest resident dies at 112 - The Philadelphia Tribune

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