Village Resident Turns 105

“Just get there,” explained Nellie Elizabeth Wissman about turning 105. She was one of the first people to live on Damon Hill Road in Gerry, which is named after her father and uncles.

“I think it’s totally amazing. She lived a clean life, she was a hard worker, she ate good vegetables and made delicious meals,” says daughter-in-law Sally Wissman. “She was a great pie maker, she babysat a lot. She just was a homemaker. She just lived her life clean. She was a member of the Gerry Free Methodist Church for 75 years.”

Nellie’s daughter-in-law also explained how independently she lived until around the time she turned 100, saying she prepared her own meals and enjoyed spending time playing Rummikub with her friend at Bergquist Memorial.

Though Nellie uses a wheelchair for assistance, she is still able to walk on her own. She also makes lap blankets with her time.

“They were crocheted in beautiful colors. She didn’t waste her time at all,” explained her daughter-in-law. “She was doing something all the time. She has made all kinds of things. I think there were two presidents that gave her certificates for her helping out here for the lap blankets that she crocheted.”

Nellie also helped around the campus ironing and doing other jobs, as well as wallpapering for people.

“Most of the people do know her, I was going through Facebook today and there’s loads of people that are wishing her a happy birthday, a happy life, it’s just incredible to see how many people were on Facebook this morning with their wishes for her. So she’s well-known in the community,” says her daughter-in-law.

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