“Grandma” Deborah Canada, 102 years of age and this county’s oldest citizen, died at her home in Hutsonville Monday morning at 12:30 o’clock.¹ The aged lady had been in failing health for several years and her infirmities together with injuries received from a fall at her home Friday afternoon, caused death.
Grandma Canada received wide publicity on the advent of her 100th birthday and the two anniversaries that followed. She was the oldest the of the few remaining pioneers in the country and following the death of Uncle Joe Ford of Flat Rock several weeks ago she was the on1y living person 100 years old in Crawford county..
She was born in Terre Haute, the daughter of Thomas Spencer², a veteran of the War of 1812, who came west from Virginia. When a little girl, her father was rewarded for his services by a grant of land in Clark county and the Spencer family moved to Illinois.
She married William Canada in 1850 and soon after they moved to the river village of Hutsonville where they were to rear their children and live the remainder of their lives. Her husband preceded her in death some thirty years ago.
When 100 years old an Argus reporter visited Grandma Canada and found her an alert little old woman with a vast fund of historical information and with a keen interest in the present day.

The span of her lifetime reached back past the administration of Andrew Jackson, seventh president at the United States. She remembered the talk about Abraham Lincoln, the awkward young boy from Illinois who wee making a name for himself and was prominently mentioned as a candidate for president. When she came to Hutsonville steamboats paddled up and down the Wabash. Deer end wild turkey abounded in the wooded lands hereabout.

In late years she was unable to walk alone and spent most of her hours sitting in a chair in the living room of the very house her husband erected mere then a half century ago. Had it not been for her fall she might have lived for several years.
Coroner John W. Long conducted an inquiry into the death Monday afternoon. Clifford Canada, grandson of the deceased who has lived at the Canada home for several years was the only witness questioned. He said that his aged grandmother fell shortly alter noon Friday after he had assisted her to the bedroom. Dr. Voorheis was called to the home and it was learned her hip was fractured. She failed steadily and died quietly early Monday.

The deceased is survived by three children, Mrs. Cora Lee Gill of Hutsonville, Mrs. Estella Buckner of Shelby, Montana, and Charley Canada at home.
Funeral services were held at the Christian church in Hutsonville Tuesday afternoon at 2:00 o’clock with the Rev. E. P. Nay officiating. Interment [was] made in the Hutsonville cemetery.

Deborah "Grandma" Canada, Crawford County's oldest resident, died today¹ at that age of 102 years, having reached the age on May 10,1934.

Death resulted from a fractured leg as the result of a fall suffered by the aged lady at her home in Hutsonsville last Friday, according to coroner John W, Long who conducted an inquiry into the death this afternoon.

"Grandma" as she was familiarly known to the residents of Hutsonville with whom she had lived for 82 years of her life had been fairly active up to the time of her injury that resulted in her death.

She was born at Terre Haute, Ind.  She readily recalled upon her recent birthday the early history of Crawford county said how the women got put into the fields and worked alongside of the men.  her childish memory recalled a vivid memory of the Indians that occupied this territory at that time.

She was a member of the family of nine children and also the mother of nine children.  She is survived by three children, Mrs. Ed Buckner of Shelby, Mont., Mrs. John Gill of Hutsonville and Charles, who made his home with his mother..  Mrs. Canada passed away at 12:30 a. m. this morning.

"Work hard, do anything that is right," was Grandma's advice to those aspiring to be 100 years old.  Her two cardinal virtues of which she was very proud were.  "I never swear or tell stories."

Seven grandchildren, fifteen great grandchildren and four great great grandchildren survive.

Funeral services will be held at the First Christian church in Hutsonville Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock with the Rev. E. T. Nay in charge,  Burial will be made in the old cemetery.

Notes/Sources:

Submitted by Sandy Cirullo.  Transcribed by L. K. Ortman

1Deborah died Jan 1st, 1935. 

2Her parents were Thomas Spencer b. circa 1794 in KY,  and Sarah Preston b. circa 1804. 

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