One Hurdred and Seventeen Sears Old.

Manawatu Herald, 31 March 1892, Page 3

One Hurdred and Seventeen Sears Old.

■'— i •l|wo years ago the death was announced from Vienna of Fran Magdalena Ponza, at the great age of 115. From the .same city intelligence has just been" received of the. death of another female* centenarian — Frau Margaret Grebschik, w4h> \ had reached the astonishing age of W 117. Frau Grebschik die^ a few " days ago in the Wieden Hospital. She was born - in 1775 at Blesz, a small village on the German frontier of liohemia, where her parents, who were poor peasants, lived. In 1849, then 74 years old, she first visited Vienna in company with her husband, who subsequently established thero a small chandler's business,

which maintained the pair of then; in comfort. Eleven years litter hei husband die.!, and she was compelled to Woi l k for her own living She selected fche avocation of a laundress, Until long after her hundredth yeai she continued to labour at the wash* tub, and it was not until about three yedrs ago that she was compelled to give up this kind of work. Still she remained in goocl health and spirits. Early every moriiing she might' have been seen until quite recently on her hands and knees scrubbing the floor of her modest dwelling in the Hungelbrunngasse, which was always a model of brightness and neatness. She did her own marketing and cooked her own meals, for she had no relatives or friends, and could not afford to pay for assistance. Her great delight was to chat of old times, and she willingly bn tertained strangers with her reminiscences. The certificate of her death describes her as " Margarethe Grebscbik, dependent on charity, resident in Vienna, Catholic, widow, 117 years old."