Onie Ponder
Encyclopedia
Onezima Cecelia "Onie" Ponder (September 3, 1898 – December 31, 2010) was an American supercentenarian
. At the age of 112 years, 119 days, she was the 21st oldest person in the world at her death on December 31, 2010 and the oldest living person in the U.S state of Florida
.
, which was a big deal back then as many people still used outhouses. As a child, Ponder and her seven siblings were rarely bored. Ponder said, "we used to have a lot of fun just among ourselves; we didn't need a bunch of folks coming over to entertain us." According to Ponder, she had a wonderful family life as a child. Growing up, Ponder clearly remembers seeing Halley's Comet soar through the sky, and was 13 when the Titanic sank. She remembered when automobiles
first rolled into town, and lived in America during World War I
. Her parents stressed doing well in school, so she was sent to boarding school in Columbia, South Carolina
, when she was 14. After graduating from St. Genevieve's boarding school
in Asheville, North Carolina
in 1916, Ponder went to the University of Florida
to study accounting, graduating in 1922.
for the first time. Ponder voted in every election since, except for once when she was giving birth to her son Carswell. In the 2008 election, she voted for Barack Obama.
in her early 100's. At 106, Ponder was hit by a car, and then recovered. Ponder lived in Ocala
, the city in which she was born, until her death in 2010. At the age of 110, the only medication Ponder took was two pills once per day. Although blinded, Ponder was still in relatively good health. In an interview with Ponder, she said, "I just love living every day and doing the best I can.” Onie Ponder embraced living day by day, and in an interview for Growing Bolder television in 2008, she said, "I don't dream, I believe in reality. I live one day at a time because, believe me, one day is enough." Ponder enjoyed listening to historical audio books from the blind center. She listened to more than 200 of them. Ponder credited her longevity to her active youth, “I walked everywhere. I had to; we didn’t have any cars.”
Supercentenarian
A supercentenarian is someone who has reached the age of 110 years. This age is achieved by about one in a thousand centenarians....
. At the age of 112 years, 119 days, she was the 21st oldest person in the world at her death on December 31, 2010 and the oldest living person in the U.S state of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
Family
Onezima Cecelia "Onie" (Chazal) Ponder was born in Ocala, Florida on September 3, 1898. She was born to Isabel Juliana "Nita" (Hickman) Chazal (her mother) and Louis Richard Amedee Chazal (her father) at home on the corner of Ft. King and Herbert Street (now Wenona) . At the age of two, Ponder moved into a house diagonally across the street from the house she was born in. She remembers that that new house had nine rooms and indoor plumbingPlumbing
Plumbing is the system of pipes and drains installed in a building for the distribution of potable drinking water and the removal of waterborne wastes, and the skilled trade of working with pipes, tubing and plumbing fixtures in such systems. A plumber is someone who installs or repairs piping...
, which was a big deal back then as many people still used outhouses. As a child, Ponder and her seven siblings were rarely bored. Ponder said, "we used to have a lot of fun just among ourselves; we didn't need a bunch of folks coming over to entertain us." According to Ponder, she had a wonderful family life as a child. Growing up, Ponder clearly remembers seeing Halley's Comet soar through the sky, and was 13 when the Titanic sank. She remembered when automobiles
History of the automobile
The history of the automobile begins as early as 1769, with the creation of steam engined automobiles capable of human transport. In 1806, the first cars powered by an internal combustion engine running on fuel gas appeared, which led to the introduction in 1885 of the ubiquitous modern gasoline-...
first rolled into town, and lived in America during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Her parents stressed doing well in school, so she was sent to boarding school in Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
, when she was 14. After graduating from St. Genevieve's boarding school
St. Genevieve High School
St. Genevieve High School is a private Roman Catholic high school in Panorama City, Los Angeles, California. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles. In 2003, St. Genevieve High School was recognized as a National School of Character by the Character Education Partnership...
in Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
in 1916, Ponder went to the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
to study accounting, graduating in 1922.
Career
Onie Ponder worked all of her life, and spent much of it as a bookkeeper. During World War One, Ponder did her part by selling war bonds throughout the war. Although Ponder enjoyed working all of her life, she says that the best time she spent was with her kids. In 1920, when Ponder was 21, women were given the right to voteWomen's suffrage
Women's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or...
for the first time. Ponder voted in every election since, except for once when she was giving birth to her son Carswell. In the 2008 election, she voted for Barack Obama.
In Later years
Onie Ponder lost her sight to macular degenerationMacular degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration is a medical condition which usually affects older adults and results in a loss of vision in the center of the visual field because of damage to the retina. It occurs in “dry” and “wet” forms. It is a major cause of blindness and visual impairment in older adults...
in her early 100's. At 106, Ponder was hit by a car, and then recovered. Ponder lived in Ocala
Ocala, Florida
Ocala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala...
, the city in which she was born, until her death in 2010. At the age of 110, the only medication Ponder took was two pills once per day. Although blinded, Ponder was still in relatively good health. In an interview with Ponder, she said, "I just love living every day and doing the best I can.” Onie Ponder embraced living day by day, and in an interview for Growing Bolder television in 2008, she said, "I don't dream, I believe in reality. I live one day at a time because, believe me, one day is enough." Ponder enjoyed listening to historical audio books from the blind center. She listened to more than 200 of them. Ponder credited her longevity to her active youth, “I walked everywhere. I had to; we didn’t have any cars.”
See also
- List of supercentenarians from the United States
- List of verified supercentenarians who died in 2010
- List of oldest people by nation