[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 117 (Monday, September 9, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1257]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     STATEMENT ON THE 114TH BIRTHDAY OF MS. SUSANNAH MUSHATT JONES

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                        HON. HAKEEM S. JEFFRIES

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 9, 2013

  Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in celebration of the 114th 
birthday of Ms. Susannah Mushatt Jones, who is affectionately called 
Miss Susie. Considered the oldest resident in New York State by the 
Gerontology Research Group, she is a beloved member of the Brooklyn 
community I am proud to represent in Congress. In honor of her 
birthday, Miss Susie was honored on July 12, 2013, at the Vandalia 
Senior Center in Brooklyn, NY. We revel not just the years since her 
birth, but the history she has witnessed in three separate centuries. 
From experiencing segregation in the South to being a first-hand 
witness of the Civil Rights movement in New York, we commemorate her 
birthday with awe and inspiration.
  Miss Susie was born into a large, loving family on July 6, 1899, in 
Lowndes County, Alabama as the third of eleven children. In 1923 she 
moved to New York as part of the Great Migration of African Americans 
from the rural South to cities in the North, Midwest, and West. Miss 
Susie dedicated her professional pursuits to children, first as a 
schoolteacher and then as a childcare provider. At one point, she moved 
to Hollywood to work for a family in the film industry. During her time 
on the west coast, she enjoyed socializing with movie stars and 
attending movie premieres. She fondly remembers meeting Ronald Reagan, 
Clark Gable, and Cary Grant.
  Family has always surrounded Miss Susie: she takes great delight in 
being an aunt to over 100 nieces and nephews. Throughout her life, she 
has brightened many lives with her positive attitude and infectious 
laugh. She resides in Vandalia Houses and was an active member of the 
Vandalia Houses Senior Center tenant patrol through her 100th birthday. 
Miss Susie credits her healthy lifestyle free of smoking and drinking 
for her longevity.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and my other distinguished colleagues 
join me in celebrating Ms. Susannah Mushatt Jones on her 114th 
birthday.

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