New Jersey’s Oldest Resident, Who Credited Alcohol for Her Longevity, Dies at 112

The oldest woman in New Jersey, who claimed alcohol was the secret to her longevity, died

The oldest woman in New Jersey, who claimed alcohol was the secret to her longevity, died at the age of 112 Thursday morning.

The Record reports that Agnes Fenton of Englewood died just three weeks after her 112th birthday.

A doctor diagnosed Fenton with a benign tumor in 1943 and prescribed alcohol as treatment. Since then, she religiously drank Johnnie Walker Blue Label whiskey and Miller High Life daily for years before old age forced her to quit drinking.

In an interview on her 110th birthday, Fenton claimed her alcohol regimen was the secret to her longevity, according to NBC New York.

Fenton was born as Agnes Jones in 1905 in Holly Springs, Mississippi, and was one of the first black women to own a restaurant in Tennessee.

She owned the Pal’s Duck Inn until she moved to Englewood, New Jersey, in the 1950s with her second husband, Vincent Fenton. Vincent died in 1970.

Although Fenton had no children, she remained active in her old age, particularly in St. Mark’s Church in New York, the Associated Press reports.

Friends say she remained mentally sharp and reminded those close to her about the importance of being close to God.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been finalized.

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