Supercentenarian Profile

Eleanor Kevill

Born:

1885-02-28

Lynn, Essex, Massachusetts

United States

Died:

1995-09-15

Danvers, Essex, Massachusetts

United States

✔ Age Certified by LongeviQuest

Eleanor “Nellie” Kevill was an American supercentenarian whose age has been validated by LongeviQuest.

BIOGRAPHY

Eleanor “Nellie” Kevill was born on 28 February 1885 in Lynn, Massachusetts, United States, the daughter of Owen Kevill and Bridget Carr. She attended local schools until ninth grade before going to work as a stitcher at the Brophy Brothers shoe factory, where she remained for more than a decade.

Kevill lived on Collins Street in Lynn for most of her life and was a communicant of St. Joseph’s Church and a member of the Our Lady of Fatima Sodality. She never married, often joking “not yet” when asked, and credited her longevity to never smoking or drinking.

In her later years, she often reflected on the many changes she had seen, remarking that “everything is electronic and people worked harder back then,” and lamenting that women “have to work so much today.” She lived through 20 presidential elections and named John F. Kennedy as her favorite president.

In 1988, at the age of 103, Kevill moved into Twin Oaks Nursing Home in Danvers after fracturing her pelvis in a fall. Despite the injury, she continued to enjoy good health and remained a popular and active resident, enjoying walking, singing, and visits from family.

Eleanor Kevill died at Twin Oaks on 15 September 1995 at the age of 110. At the time of her death, she was recognized as the oldest resident of Massachusetts. She was buried in St. Joseph’s Cemetery following services at St. Joseph’s Church in Lynn.