Mary Leeper

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                           Old Colored Woman Dead                            
                                                                             
        Survived By 258 Descendants - Some in the Fourth Generation.         
                                                                             
Aunt Mary Leaper (col.), aged about 100 years, according to the best         
available information, died at her home two miles northwest of Delight       
Thursday afternoon of last week (February 13, 1936). She was born a slave    
in Jackson county, Ga., according to her oldest daughter, Victoria Thomas,   
and was inherited by the Hardin family, and was later sold to the Hewitt     
family and brought to Arkansas at the age of 14.                             
                                                                             
Aunt Mary had been married twice, each time to men by the name of Leaper.    
Her first husband died about 60 years ago, and the last one died about 32    
year ago. She was the mother of 11 children and had great grand children     
into the fourth generation, totaling 258 in all, according to her daughter.  
She is survived by one son and two daughters, in addition to her             
grandchildren and other generations.                                         
                                                                             
Aunt Mary's age is not known, to be exact; however, some who have known her  
for many years claim her to have been around 114, while others say she was   
about 100, as a conservative estimate. It is said that she had grown         
children during the Civil war. At any rate, she was believed to be the       
oldest person in the county, and possibly in the state. She was active,      
hale and hearty until only a few years ago.                                  
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Pike County Tribune, Volume 15, Number 2, February 21, 1936, page 1,         
column 1.                                                                    
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David Kelley 1997