The Life of ICY OVIATT
Isabella Oviatt died on 5 October 1902 at the age of 102 years in the town of Orange Connecticut. She was lovingly referred to as "Aunt Icy" and was believed at that time to have been the oldest woman in the country.
During the Revolutionary War, members of the Schaghticoke (pronounced Scatacoke) Confederation moved their homes from Kent CT to North Milford CT or Orange. It is believed that they lived on land near the water and on a hillside north of the Derby Turnpike and approximately 3 1/2 miles from New Haven.
Oviatt and her family were highly esteemed in their community. Many gathered for her 100th birthday party and presented her with a cake and a purse. Oviatt can be seen sitting in the center of the photo amongst family and friends. She is the woman with the shawl who is holding a bunch of flowers. Oviatt considered her good health and vitality to be partly due to her "Indian" blood and partly due to the fact that she had never seen a doctor in her life.
For Oviatt to have lived past the age of 100 was extremely rare during the 1900s when many women succumbed at a far earlier age.
Isabella Oviatt is resting at Evergreen Cemetery.
The information for this article was provided by the Orange Historical Society. If you are interested in more information about the society, then please visit http://www.orangehistory.org/
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