Caroline A. Penney; Widow of Retail Pioneer

Caroline A. Penney, 96, widow of J.C. Penney, founder of the retail chain that bears his name. Born Caroline B. Autenrieh, she married Penney in 1926. Throughout their marriage, she shared his philanthropic interests and activities, including the James C. Penney Foundation, which they established in 1954 and of which she served as president from 1971 to 1979. They also shared an interest in the National 4-H Council. After Penney’s death in 1958, she worked on plans for the J.C. Penney Hall, which was dedicated in his honor in 1977 at the National 4-H Center in Washington. In New York City on Tuesday.