Harrison to celebrate 100th Birthday

By Mile Staniford, Managing Editor

The Oklahoma Eagle

Thursday November 3, 1988

Emma Rentie Harrison will celebrate her 100th birthday on Nov. 4, complete with a proclamation from mayor Rodger Randle declaring Friday "Emma Rentie Harrison Day" in Tulsa. According to employees at Chamor Nursing Center, where Harrison lives, State Senator Maxine Horner will be present at the birthday party to give the centenarian a citation.

Harrison, who looks remarkably well for her age, is shy about letting anyone know about her approaching birthday, and she has her doubts about having the event put into print. She jokingly says, " When everyone finds out how old I am, I'll never get another husband."

"I don't remember myself, but they tell me I was born Nov. 4, 1888, in Indian Territory," Harrison begins the account of her life.

Harrison says her father, Henry Jacob, was a Creek freedman who owned a farm and operated a ferry north of Muskogee near the little town of Clarksville, which is no longer listed on the official state transportation department's map. She says her father used the ferry to carry horses, buggies, wagons, and people across the Arkansas River. Harrison's mother was Rebecca Jacob. In addition to raising Emma and her brothers and sisters, Rebecca helped her husband farm the 160 acres they owned on the north side of the river. Emma says they raised corn, cotton, hogs, chicken, ducks, geese, and "everything like that."

For entertainment, Emma says she used to play baseball with her brothers. On Sunday, the whole family used to attend the Blue Creek Baptist Church where Emma's father was a deacon and her uncle, Eli Jacob, was the pastor.

Harrison remembers, "I was a home girl. they were strict on me. I came up the old way. I never got into much trouble. . . I helped mother with my twin brothers. . . . I'm no 'goodtime' woman. I get tired of foolishness."

Harrison says when she was young she had to have a chaperone accompany her on dates. She attended school at Jangston university.

While still in her teens, Emma Jacob married James Rentie, who owned a farm west of Tullahassee. According to Harrison, she and her new husband made their home for a short while in Muskogee. Mr. Rentie taught school at the Tullahassee mission. She says her husband was a deacon.

She says her first husband "passed away quite awhile ago."—she couldn't remember the exact date. Emma Harrison is the last living member of her immediate family. her brothers and sisters have all passed away.

According to Harrison's—legal guardian, her cousin Gaza Newby, Harrison never had any children of her own, but many nieces and nephews, and other relatives fondly call her "Aunt Emma." Newby says in her later life, Emma Rentie married Manuel Harrison. This marriage lasted only a short time, ending in Mr. Harrison's death.

Mrs. Harrison has lived at Chamor for eight and one-half years. She says, "This here is my home."

Chamor employees report Harrison dresses herself every morning and, though she can still walk, she spends much of her time in a wheelchair at the door of her room visiting with other residents.

Chamor Social Service Director Pamela beard says all the residents and the staff are looking forward to the big celebration because "Emma is one of our favorite people."