Jeremiah Is A Very Old Man

compiled by Teresa Martin Klaiber

July 2012

I usually get a few chuckles and hearty laughs when reading old newspapers and their headlines.  As I grow older this one gave me food for thought.  If someone posted that I was a very old person would I be embarrassed or insulted to be called old.  I have decided I would be very proud to have lived a long life, have many experiences and to be recognized.

"Portsmouth Times, Portsmouth, Ohio, January 21, 1911 JEREMIAH IS A VERY OLD MAN -- The Catlettsburg Tribune says that Rev. Jeremiah Farmer, who for many years has made his home in Greenup county, is possibly the oldest minister in the state of Kentucky, if not in almost the entire country.  Though well on toward the place of a centenarian he continues to remain quite active and travels about very considerably.

One day last week he drove from his home to Greenup and the Greenup Republican noted the visit of the venerable servant of God in the following words: "Uncle Jeremiah Farmer drove to Greenup Tuesday from his home on Tygart. He is one of the oldest ministers in our county, but still gets around pretty well for a man of his extreme age."

No where in the article did it say his exact age, though it hints to close to 100.   Of course, I am a genealogist and had to go look up his age.  The 1900 Greenup Census states that he is 91 years of age, born in 1819 in Kentucky, the grandfather of Jeremiah Pugh.

I so hoped Jeremiah would make Centenarian.  But, alas, he died March, 12, 1912. The death certificate states that he was born November 14, 1818 and was 94 years, 4 months and 10 days old the day he died.

Jeremiah Farmer was the son of Joshua and Mary Williams Farmer.  He is buried in Liberty Cemetery, Greenup County, Kentucky.

My perspective is changing as I grow older.  I remember thinking 40 was a mile stone.  My grand daughter, in sweet innocence looked up at me one day a couple of years ago and proclaimed "Mawmaw, you are ancient."    In my mind the mile stone of 40 has now changed to 90 and 100.  After all the Smucker jars on the TODAY Show have multiplied dramatically the last few years.  Oh what the heck here is to 110!