Those in Wellesley and beyond this week are mourning the death and celebrating the life of Herlda Senhouse, who passed away at the age of 113 on Saturday morning, Nov. 16, peacefully in her sleep. She was the oldest resident in Wellesley as well as the state, and the second oldest in the country, having turned 113 on Feb. 28.
Herlda is survived by four generations of nieces and nephews, and countless friends who loved and cherished her.
Here’s the formal obituary for Herlda Senhouse.
We were fortunate to celebrate several of this extraordinary women’s recent birthdays, which were marked by good cheer as well as the presentation of the Boston Post Cane, allowed out of the Wellesley Historical Society’s collections but once a year for its annual photo-op with the town’s eldest resident.
At Herlda’s last birthday party, one attendee said: “She’s just a fun person, a great role model to look up to.”
The longtime Wellesley resident attributed her longevity to her many friends, her church family, and her zest for life. Just last year, she and friends took a train to New Jersey for an anniversary party.
“Aunt Herlda,” as she was known to many, lived at Glen Grove in town, though her most recent birthday was celebrated in the hospital. She lived in Wellesley for more than 45 years.
Herlda was born in Piedmont, W.V., in 1911 as one of 10 children, and moved to Woburn, Mass., in 1927. She married William Senhouse in 1933 and they were married for 62 years until his passing. She worked as a nanny for years.
According to her obituary: “While civil rights leaders marched in the 1960s for equality and against racism, Senhouse showed her activism through jazz dance shows. She founded Boston’s Clique Club, a social club of dancers and musicians to help educate Black students. Senhouse helped countless Black students pay for everything from books to college tuition through the Clique Club.”
A memorial service will be held at 11am on Dec. 21 at Myrtle Baptist Church in Newton (21 Curve St.). According to her friend, Margaret Robinson, Herlda in true fashion made arrangements to donate her brain to the lab at MassGeneral Hospital for research on longevity. And one of her last activities was to vote by mail in the 2024 election, according to the town.
The Select Board plans to recognize Herlda Senhouse’s passing during Tuesday’s regular meeting.
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