BIOGRAPHY

Mae Penny was born in King William County, Virginia, USA, on 5 May 1907, to parents Benjamin Morris, II and Alice Burke. Her siblings included Joseph and Theodore Morris, Eliza (Lottie) M. Johnson, and Alice M. Wright. She also had a foster sister, Gladys (Elizabeth) Gresham.

Penny received her education at King William (Third Union) Academy and King William Training School. In early adulthood, she married William Brown, and together they had a son, William W. “Bill” Brown. She and her husband later moved to Wilmington, Delaware, where she worked for a private family and traveled extensively—spending winters in Florida and summers in Maine. She also enjoyed holiday vacations in Hollywood, California, as well as trips to Mexico and Canada.

In 1959, she married Edward Penny. After retiring in 1971, Mae and Edward returned to King William County, where they remained active in the community and their church, Third Union. Her son Bill passed away in 1979 after a prolonged illness, and in 1982, she lost her husband.

Penny found joy in attending the Middle King William Lifestyle Center and loved playing pinochle and dominoes until her vision prevented her from continuing these hobbies. When asked about the secret to her long life, she simply said she never smoked, never drank, and never chased men.

Mae Penny passed away in Autumn Care Nursing Home in Mechanicsville, Virginia, on 26 July 2017, at the age of 110 years, 82 days.

RECOGNITION

Her age has not been validated.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Happy 109th Birthday Mae Day Morris Penny” − Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2016

* “Virginia woman turns 110; credits longevity to no smoking and drinking” − WTVR, 5 May 2017

* Mae Penny Obituary − Daily Press, 2 August 2017

GALLERY