Seeing her so thin, one would think that Evangelista “Jennie” Benejan and Gómez DeJesús is a fragile woman. But nothing is further from reality: she has survived two world wars, two pandemics and even beat when he was 86 years old, cancer. And this Sunday she turns 107.
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Born in Puerto Rico on February 27, 1915, the brave lady moved to New York when she was twelve years old, and between one thing and another, she had to face the Great Depression, as well as trials that almost broke her heart, such as the death of her husband and that of two of her five children.
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She has also had great satisfaction, such as being the matriarch of a large family because, in addition to her 5 children, Gómez DeJesús had 10 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and 14 great-great-grandchildren.
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She turns 107 and was one of the first Puerto Ricans to arrive in NY
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He also has among his greatest prides the fact of belonging to the group of the first Puerto Rican families who moved from Puerto Rico to New York.
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As reported by journalist Kathy Swanwick, before covid-19, the sweet great-great-grandmother met with many of her relatives at the home of one of her children in Newburgh, but those meetings were unfortunately reduced by the pandemic.
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However, her daughter Yvonne Mojica, 68, assures that her family is still close to her mother: “We constantly communicate by phone. They call to see how she is.”
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She remembers how when her mother turned 100, they threw her a party at Newburgh Crossroads Assembly of Godchurch, where his brother, Manny Montalvo, is a pastor. The occasion was so special that even then-President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama sent her a congratulatory card.
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The last big reunion was when Jennie turned 105, just before the pandemic hit.
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Although he is 107 years old, he is in good health.
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Her daughter indicates that although the doctors say that her mother’s health is still very good, her mind has felt the effect of having more than a century of life: she has dementia and there are times when her mother does not recognize her or other close relatives.
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“It’s still here,” says Mojica. “She beat cancer. She had two great doctors and here she is.”
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“Health-wise, she is better than all of us. She just had a doctor’s appointment two weeks ago. His blood pressure is better than all of us. She checked his heart and said, ‘His heart is better than mine and yours.’ She only takes one medication, that’s all. For her thyroid.”
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“One of the most important things about her,” said her grandson John, “is that she raised five wonderful children. All of them were quite successful. There are no problems. She and her husband formed a great family”.
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When her daughter is asked what she attributes her mother’s longevity to, she remembers a piece of advice she always gave her: You have to put God first in all things and, furthermore, she says “eat a very healthy diet.”
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