McClenon, Hettie (1891-2001)

Hettie McClenon (1891–2001) was a longtime resident of Englewood, New Jersey, whose extraordinary life connected the city to more than a century of American history. Born in Florida in 1891 and raised on a family farm, McClenon learned responsibility early, leaving school at the age of eleven to help support her family. That early experience of labor and perseverance shaped a life defined by endurance, care, and quiet strength.

After marrying Prince Phuse in 1909, she raised four children while working alongside her husband in agricultural life. Following his death, she later married Leroy McClenon and helped raise additional stepchildren, forming a large, blended family. In the mid-twentieth century, she settled in Englewood, where she lived for more than fifty years and became part of the city’s everyday social fabric.

McClenon spent her later decades in Englewood witnessing dramatic changes in the surrounding community and the world beyond it—from the transition out of the industrial age to the dawn of the space and information eras. She lived through two world wars, the Great Depression, and sweeping political and cultural shifts, while Englewood itself evolved around her. Family members and neighbors remembered her as a steady, thoughtful presence, someone whose memory stretched back to a time few others could recall.

A devoted reader and engaging conversationalist, McClenon continued reading on her own until the age of 105. When her eyesight failed, reading remained a daily ritual through the care of loved ones. In Englewood, she was especially known for her love of gardening. She took pride in growing flowers and sharing them freely with neighbors, earning a reputation for her “green thumb” and her generosity of spirit.

By the time of her death in June 2001—just days before her 110th birthday—Hettie McClenon had lived to see five generations of her family and more than half a century of life in Englewood. Her story reflects both the durability of one woman’s life and the deep, often quiet ways long-term residents shape the character and memory of a community.

Brex, Kate. "McClenon dies days before 110th birthday." Northern Valley Suburbanite (North), 27 June 2001, p.13.

Wiggins, Oveta. "Living Black History: Two women recall struggles." The Record, 1 Feb. 1996, p.A-1, A-18.

1891-06-29

Flordia, United States

2001-06-23

Brex, Kate. "McClenon dies days before 110th birthday." Northern Valley Suburbanite (North), 27 June 2001, p.13.