Individual Details

Olive, the oldest daughter of Lafe and Mary DeWitt, was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1900, Louisville was still among the nation's twenty largest cities. She attended Louisville Female High School from 1900 to 1903, around the age of 16 to 18. The Louisville Girls High School began operation in April, 1856. Originally located in an old building at Center and Walnut streets, it started with an enrollment of sixty-nine and a faculty of three. Not in existence today, Louisville Girls High School combined with another old school, the duPont Manual Training High School (boys) to become duPont Manual High School in 1950 with the advent of coeducation.
Olive entered Louisville society as a debutante, as all girls of her social group did in that time.
Seventeen year old Olive received this letter from her Father:

Louisville, Ky., July 10th 1901

Miss Olive M. DeWitt
Dear Daughter
Your most welcome letter
duly received and c--t-- noted pleased
to hear that you are all having a
nice time. You must both be very careful
of your health and see that you do not
get hurt. I do not favor Buggy Riding
at night with young men by your self
If the crowd goes to gether it is all ok
or if Miss Maud or her sister is a long
but it is not just right for you young
girls to go with strange young men out
riding at night. You must both be
carefull as people might make remarks
about it tell Minnie to be careful
also, and not be to gay but be a perfect
lady in all things try to have a good
time and grow fat, Ma is not feeling
well but is a --. Mrs. Beale and Ma
Ma went up to Fern Grove to gether yesterday

the Clay and Market St Church
gave a pic nic, yesterday, Ma Ma
will send your shawls to day by mail
Addie is still at our house she came
in last Friday and has been sick
in bed ever since but hopes to be
able to take a ride this afternoon
in the trap business quiet now
after the 4th nothing special to
name. Clarence would like to spend
a week in the county if he had some
nice place to go. he wanted to come
up and stay with you all but I
told him that Miss Maud had
a house full now, and would not
have room for him, give my regards
to our and all. write me a nice
letter & tell Minnie to write me also
lafe will go to Mr Ditzels with Annie
Monday. so with best wishes I will
close, good by
Your loving Father
Lafe De Witt

In 1905, when Olive was 21, her mother died of pneumonia. This was a terrible blow to the family, her youngest brother and sister were only twelve and ten. Nellie, the youngest, had been lived with their grandmother, Augusta Hollenkamp. By 1910 only Olive and her 16 year old brother Lafe, were still living with their father in in a rented home in Louisville. John Henry and Minnie were married, Clarence had gone to California and 14 year old Nellie was still living with her grandmother.
Shortly after Olive, Lafe Jr, and her father moved to California. Olive wrote that she and Lafe Jr. arrived in California on Admissions Day, Sept 9, 1910, and her Dad later. They visited their Aunt Annie (Annie Dewitt Hall) at her ranch in Inglewood. A 1912 fourth of July picture shows her, Lafe Sr. and her brother Clarence and his wife Myrtle in Venice, Calif. 1920 was a year of change for 36 year old Olive. She was living in rented rooms with her father in Los Angeles and working as a stenographer. Women were given the right to vote. During September of that year, Olive married Charles Prouty.
Olive and Charles eloped. They took the train from Los Angeles to San Francisco intending to get married on arrival. But while Olive was getting out of the train she broke the heel of her shoe. "We can't get married today, it would be bad luck!" she told Charles. Olive insisted that Charles find separate rooms for them overnight and that they get married the next day. This he did, and you can say that she did have good luck, as their marriage lasted the rest of her long life. When asked what she attributed her longevity to, one of Olive's favorite sayings was to declare, "Drink a martini every night and marry a younger man!"
They raised one son, Charles DeWitt Prouty, in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles. They continued to make their home in southern California until their rising years convinced their son to move them near him in Santa Rosa, Sonoma Co., California.
Always the Grande Dame, Olive loved to serve drinks and hors d'oeuvres when visitors dropped in. She was well known to "secretly" pass money "for butter" to her grandchildren. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind either, but never failed to impress upon her grandchildren the importance of manners.


(Desert Sun, Volume XXX, Number 136, 1 March 1957)
Lafe and Nellie DeWitt of Tacoma, Wash., had as their guests Mrs. Charles Prouty of Los Angeles, and Lee and Mario Peck of Burbank for the weekend.

Press Democrat, Volume 121, Number 226, 18 July 1978
Oldest fairgoers
Olive D. Prouty, right, and Annie Lea, both of Santa Rosa and both 94 years old, tied for the "oldest woman" at the Sonoma County Fair's special senior citizens day program. With the oldest fairgoers are Santa Rosa FFA Sweetheart Kelly Roush and Father Richard T. Coughlin, director of the All-American Boys Chorus from Orange County.


28 July 1983. Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
Olive DeWitt Prouty, Santa Rosa, who has won the fair's oldest woman title more years than anyone can remember, returned Wednesday to reclaim her title. Mrs. Prouty, born July 4, 1884, in Louisville, Kent. is 99 years old.

Thursday, 28 July, 1983. San Francisco Chronicle.
Also winning a prize yesterday was Olive Prouty, 99, the oldest woman at the fair. She won a taco dinner.
Prouty attributed her longevity to an occasional gin martini which, she said, "helps me to digest my husband's cooking."

• 

Birth	4 Jul 1884	Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky, United States
Education	From 1900 to 1903	Louisville Female High School, Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky, United States
Census	1920	Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States
Marriage	16 Sep 1920	San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States - Charles William Prouty
Census (family)	5 Apr 1930	Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States - Charles William Prouty
Census (family)	3 Apr 1940	Assembly District 59, block 15, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States - Charles William Prouty
Census (family)	1950	Torrance, Los Angeles, California, United States - Charles William Prouty
Occupation	1953	Charities Commission - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States
Residence	1953	4207 1/2 6th Ave., Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States
Residence (family)	1977	3431-D West Olinda Lane, Oakridge Terrace Apts., Anaheim, Orange, California, United States - Charles William Prouty
Death	25 Jan 1985	Santa Rosa, Sonoma, California, United States
Burial		Santa Rosa Memorial Park, Santa Rosa, Sonoma, California, United States

Spouse	Charles William Prouty (1893 - 1989)
Child	Living

Father	Lafayette DeWitt (1857 - 1948)
Mother	Mary Augusta Hollenkamp (1859 - 1905)
Sibling	John Henry DeWitt (1880 - 1939)
Sibling	Clarence Douglas DeWitt (1882 - 1937)
Sibling	Minna Rosalie Charlotta "Minnie" DeWitt (1886 - 1970)
Sibling	Albert Arthur DeWitt (1886 - 1886)
Sibling	Grace Lillian DeWitt (1886 - 1886)
Sibling	Mary Jane "Jeanette" DeWitt (1888 - 1888)
Sibling	Adeline DeWitt (1892 - 1893)
Sibling	Lafayette Gilbert DeWitt Jr. (1893 - 1974)
Sibling	Nellie Adeline DeWitt (1895 - 1961)

Notes