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Two Allegany Co. ladies pass the 100-year mark

By Kathryn Ross, Staff Writer

Transcribed by Crist Middaugh

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photo-2 100 yr. old  women - Copy 2photo-2 100 yr. old  women - Copy

Wellsville - Two daughters of Allegany County have passed the 100-year mark.

Katherine McQueen a former resident of the Town of Willing celebrated her 100th birthday Jan. 17 and Rubie Henry who was born in Alfred, will celebrate her 103rd birthday Wednesday. Both women now reside at the Wellsville Manor where they spend their days engaged in conversation with employees and other residents.

McQueen also enjoys working in crafts and reading. She says that she’s happy to answer any questions anyone asks her.

McQueen who was raised on a farm recalls hard winters and floods and going to school in a one-room school house in York’s Corners. She said she remembers that the school was well attended. As a child, she said she was kept busy working on the farm doing chores helping with the dairy work and churning butter. She liked working in the sugar bush the best.

Throughout her life she babysat for children and nursed older people and made dresses for people.

These days she likes to spend her time reading historical novels.

Henry also was born on a farm but when she was a youngster her family moved to Hartsville where her grandparents operated a water cure that was regularly visited by people from New York City. Henry credits her grandmother with helping her to live so long. Because her grandmother was a vegetarian, and taught her what to eat and what not to eat. She also taught her the best way to cook.

Throughout her life Henry cooked for traveling farm hands during harvest time. She said that she had cooked for more than thirty threshers many times. She also made a living cooking for private parties, and paper hanging. She was 80-years-old the last time she hung paper she says that the only reason she stopped was because her eyesight began to fail her.

She says, “It’s hard to remember things that happened last year, but I can remember taking care of my sister when I was a child.”