Hester Ford, Oldest American, Dies
Hester Ford, who was believed to have been the oldest American, living prolonged plenty of to have experienced two pandemics, both equally planet wars, Jim Crow discrimination, civil legal rights actions and the elections of 21 presidents, died on Saturday at her house in Charlotte, N.C.
Census information present conflicting facts for her 12 months of beginning, but she was either 115 or 116. The Gerontology Study Team, which tracks supercentenarians, or people about the age of 110, stated her age as 115 years and 245 times.
Her dying was verified by her family in a assertion.
“She was a pillar and stalwart to our family and presented a great deal necessary enjoy, support and comprehension to us all,” her wonderful-granddaughter Tanisha Patterson-Powe stated in the statement.
Mrs. Ford was considered to have been born on Aug. 15, 1905 or 1904, on a farm in Lancaster County, S.C., the place she grew up tilling fields and picking cotton. Theodore Roosevelt was president at the time.
She married John Ford at 14 and gave start to the 1st of her 12 young children at age 15.
The few moved to Charlotte all around 1960, and Mrs. Ford commenced functioning as a nanny. Mr. Ford died 3 several years later on, at 57. Mrs. Ford continued dwelling in their property independently, right until she was 108. Her relatives customers insisted on shifting in to help her right after she fell in her bathtub and bruised her ribs.
Her eight daughters and four sons gave her 68 grandchildren, 125 wonderful-grandchildren, and at least 120 terrific-terrific-grandchildren.
“She not only represented the development of our family, but of the Black African-American race and culture in our state,” Ms. Patterson-Powe reported. “She was a reminder of how considerably we have occur as individuals on this earth.”
Mrs. Ford celebrated her closing birthday previous year throughout the coronavirus pandemic with a socially distanced generate-by parade of close friends and relatives customers, who honked and waved from the avenue.
When requested what gifts she preferred, Mrs. Ford told the Charlotte tv station WBTV, “Anything that anybody’ll give me.”
The Gerontology Research Group lists the oldest residing human being in the entire world as Kane Tanaka in Japan. She is 118 many years and 114 days previous. The following oldest American is Thelma Sutcliffe, who is 114 many years and 207 times aged and life in Nebraska.
Mrs. Ford’s relatives said her day by day routine involved a breakfast that always provided fifty percent a banana, a excursion exterior for contemporary air — weather permitting — and sitting in her recliner on the lookout at relatives albums, accomplishing puzzles and listening to gospel songs.
When questioned about the secret to her longevity, she informed The Charlotte Observer, “I just live correct, all I know.”
The Associated Press contributed reporting.
Hester Ford, who was believed to have been the oldest American, living prolonged plenty of to have experienced two pandemics, both equally planet wars, Jim Crow discrimination, civil legal rights actions and the elections of 21 presidents, died on Saturday at her house in Charlotte, N.C.
Census information present conflicting facts for her 12 months of beginning, but she was either 115 or 116. The Gerontology Study Team, which tracks supercentenarians, or people about the age of 110, stated her age as 115 years and 245 times.
Her dying was verified by her family in a assertion.
“She was a pillar and stalwart to our family and presented a great deal necessary enjoy, support and comprehension to us all,” her wonderful-granddaughter Tanisha Patterson-Powe stated in the statement.
Mrs. Ford was considered to have been born on Aug. 15, 1905 or 1904, on a farm in Lancaster County, S.C., the place she grew up tilling fields and picking cotton. Theodore Roosevelt was president at the time.
She married John Ford at 14 and gave start to the 1st of her 12 young children at age 15.
The few moved to Charlotte all around 1960, and Mrs. Ford commenced functioning as a nanny. Mr. Ford died 3 several years later on, at 57. Mrs. Ford continued dwelling in their property independently, right until she was 108. Her relatives customers insisted on shifting in to help her right after she fell in her bathtub and bruised her ribs.
Her eight daughters and four sons gave her 68 grandchildren, 125 wonderful-grandchildren, and at least 120 terrific-terrific-grandchildren.
“She not only represented the development of our family, but of the Black African-American race and culture in our state,” Ms. Patterson-Powe reported. “She was a reminder of how considerably we have occur as individuals on this earth.”
Mrs. Ford celebrated her closing birthday previous year throughout the coronavirus pandemic with a socially distanced generate-by parade of close friends and relatives customers, who honked and waved from the avenue.
When requested what gifts she preferred, Mrs. Ford told the Charlotte tv station WBTV, “Anything that anybody’ll give me.”
The Gerontology Research Group lists the oldest residing human being in the entire world as Kane Tanaka in Japan. She is 118 many years and 114 days previous. The following oldest American is Thelma Sutcliffe, who is 114 many years and 207 times aged and life in Nebraska.
Mrs. Ford’s relatives said her day by day routine involved a breakfast that always provided fifty percent a banana, a excursion exterior for contemporary air — weather permitting — and sitting in her recliner on the lookout at relatives albums, accomplishing puzzles and listening to gospel songs.
When questioned about the secret to her longevity, she informed The Charlotte Observer, “I just live correct, all I know.”
The Associated Press contributed reporting.
