Meet Edna Phelps, 100-Year Old Calverton Resident

For Edna Phelps, who turns 101 years old next week, there really isn't a secret to her longevity.

"You just go along with everything," she said.

Born on March 29, 1910, the Calverton resident, who currently lives with her daughter, is still an active reader, churchgoer and still owns her home on North Howell Avenue.

Becuase, as she says: "There's no place like home. There really isn't."

Riverhead Patch recently sat down with Phelps to learn more about her life and the changes she's seen Riverhead go through over the decades.

Where did you grow up?

North Road, Peconic.

My father was a dairy man. Herbert Booth. Naturally we grew up – no boys, 5 girls – and all worked on farms. We delivered the milk in morning to different houses, same as always. That’s all I can think of. As the years went on, I always worked. 

What are some other jobs you’ve had over the years?

George Wells had a farm, you know, and I worked on that. Really, the one thing I remember most was riping tomatoes. Years ago, they used to send tomatoes away in boxes. Two-quart boxes, crates. We’d wipe them all nice and top them off. Same as you’d do with sprouts. I don’t know whether you know. I did that with the Cases. Gerald Case. We lived right across the street from them so we only had to go across the road to get to their place. 

As years came along I worked for schools for people. And I really liked that. Housework and that kind of stuff. 

What did you do in schools?

They hired me to do the cooking. I don’t know whether you know anything about that. When they serve lunches, I was one of them that had to heat that up and get all that stuff ready and fix it so the kids could come along and pick it up and go through the window. That, I did for years. I always worked. 

Up until when? When did you stop?

Well, it wasn’t because I wanted to (laughs). Now I’m trying to think. Don’t seem like I ever stopped. 

When I was 82 years old, I remember this. When I was coming home form work in Jamesport. That was housework for different people. I was going to have lunch with my daughter, and some lady came out of there kind of on the wild side and knocked me to kingdom come. That was the end of my car and me along with it, to tell you the truth. So I wound up in the hospital and didn’t think I’d walk again, but I did. I got out alright.

Now people wait on me and I cant stand that. There’s always something you want and you cant get it and you’re not going to ask for it. I’m not. 

What would an example be of something you’d like but cant ask for?

You see that magazine rack over there? I like to read and I have plenty of books – plenty of people give me books. But say if the books were over there, I couldn't go get them because I can't balance myself at all. And I don’t like to ask for it.

What do you like to read?

Whatever they bring me (laughs).

Novels? Non-fiction?

Yeah, I like novels. I had President Kennedy’s book. His life. And the other president – he’s the poor guy. Clinton. Did you ever read his life? His life, you would never believe he had such a hard time as a kid. He came up from the south and all he had was colored friends. At that time, his mother wasn’t married. He really was a good boy. I can't say how good he was to everybody.

That is really one good story. He even told about the time when he was with this woman that got him in trouble there. He told that too. 

Tell me about the area back when you were growing up. When did you move from Peconic to Riverhead?

Well when I married my first husband, I went to Blue Point. My home is still there. My son has it. 

I worked in a place over there that wasn’t far. There was a factory there that made white shirts. You could iron shirts. And then from there I went right across the street to a place there that had a toy factory. I worked there until almost I guess was the end of me (laughs). 

My husband was a conductor on the RR. I was doing work wherever I could get it. I didn’t like to hang around. 

So did you stay in Blue Point, or did you live in Riverhead at one point? 

Oh no, I still got a house on North Howell Avenue. 

Oh yeah, I still pay taxes every month. Sandi (my daughter) takes care of it. She goes there every day. It’s old. She used to say to me, "Mom why do you do that? Why not save that money?"

I’ll save the money in the house. Because if I ever get thrown out, I’ll have a home in case anything happens. I really would love to be there. They're good to me and all that ... but there’s no place like home. There really isn’t. 

What are some memories you have from that home?

Trying to earn it (laughs). Because I’ll tell you, we were poor. When my husband died and I was trying to earn it, I finally did do odds and ends. I tell you, I worked, but I saved every cent I had. 

What do you remember about how Riverhead has changed?

Well, I don’t know.

I know when we lived in Riverhead, I worked picking ducks. I never was without a job – that I can say. Always had work. 

Riverhead’s always been OK. The people there are much nicer than they are up around here. Here, I seem to think it’s because I’m old.  They think you don’t have brains enough to talk to them. But in Riverhead, people seemed to be so different.

I had one, Helen Truskoski – she calls me every Monday. She’s in Speonk now.

Every day, it seemed you could go across the street and talk. Now her grandson lives across the street there. But we were younger then – that’s how you knew everybody. But still, my neighbor across the street will mow my lawn. Still –he’s some good neighbor. He’s a very, very nice man. Last name is Summers.

Because then when I was there, we just waved, and "hi" and all that. Now he does all that stuff. The only way I can pay him back is on a holiday or something like that buy him a nice bottle of wine or something like that. But he is a real good guy.

What did the town used to be like when you first bought your home?

It was nice, very nice. That’s why I bought I there. The people especially. After all, they’re younger. But you’ll find all the neighbors when I was there, my God I’ll tell you ... You know, like they used to do? Help one another, they say? Well that is true. All my neighbors were good. All of them. The ones next door, I think the boys just sold that house.

That reminds me, I used to work on the cranberry marshes when I lived over there (laughs). Oh, gosh. I’m not good with names. I used to go there every morning. 

How often do you get out now?

Well whenever Sandi has a day off, and we go to church every Sunday. It’s a lovely church – and they will help people that need help too. Matt, my grandson, he loves to go to church.

There’s nothing I could say – look at how Sandi takes me in that wheelchair. We go down that ramp, and then outside we have to get the wheelchair in the car. She takes me to the doctor. No matter what the weather is. She’s only little! Not a big person. I don’t know a person who doesn’t like Sandi. She treats everybody alike. 

Well I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me.

It was nice to talk to you. You’re very easy to talk to.

That’s part of my job.

It was nice to have company. It really is. Especially, you know, someone you can talk to. Because some people come and I don’t know, whether they think you’re stupid - that’s the feeling I get. They don’t even say hello. They don’t realize how it hurts. But some people don’t care anyways. I guess I’m just “one of them” that does.