Pearl Neff lives a quiet life at her farm on Ford Road.
When she was known as Pearl Hillard, she moved to Delaware by train with her parents and brother from Noble County on Oct. 6, 1923, the day before seventh birthday.
Neff, who celebrates her 100th year today, was born in 1916.
“The First World War was still going on,” said Cindy Vail, who spoke on behalf of her great aunt.
Pearl’s family lived at a house near Section Line and Warrensburg roads intersection. Pearl had four siblings, two of which lived in Noble County, and her older sister Hazel was already established in Delaware.
Pearl married Russel Neff in 1936. They then lived with Russell’s parents on the former Zack Davis Farm for six years in Delaware. She and Russell then moved to Radnor and farmed, next to farm on Shoemaker Road in Ashley, then to the Ford Road location in 1950.
Pearl used to provide eggs for Buehler’s grocery store and other items for a downtown grocery store that no longer exists.
Russel Neff helped developed the tool that’s dragged around the track for the Little Brown Jug races in the 1940s to 1950s, Vail said.
He died in the 1990s.
Pearl did not have any children, but she has two nieces and nephews and their descendants: Jane Albery of Delaware, Barbara Opel of Columbus, nephews Charles Hillard of Columbus and Larry Hillard in the greater St. Louis area.
Pearl lives with three cats, Green Eyes, Callico and Tommy.
