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Elizabeth Francis

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Elizabeth Francis
Born(1909-07-25)July 25, 1909
St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, U.S.
Died (aged 115 years, 89 days)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Known forOldest-living person in the United States (February 22, 2024 – October 22, 2024)

Elizabeth Francis (July 25, 1909 – October 22, 2024) was an American supercentenarian who was the oldest-living person in the United States from the death of Edie Ceccarelli on February 22, 2024, until her own death on October 22, 2024.

Biography

Francis, who was of African-American descent, was born in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana,[1] on July 25, 1909,[2][3] although she was unsure of what town she was born in. Her mother died in 1920, and she and her five siblings were sent to different homes. She was sent to Houston, Texas, where she was raised by an aunt. She lived next door to her older sister Bertha Johnson (August 6, 1904 – February 21, 2011), before Johnson died at the age of 106;[4] she and Francis were among the oldest siblings on record.[5] She had another sister who lived to the age of 95, and her father died when he was 88.[6]

Francis raised her children as a single mother.[4] She moved into her final home in 1999 and would live there until her death,[4] where she lived with her 96-year-old daughter Dorothy Williams (born September 1, 1928),[7] and was cared for by her 69-year-old granddaughter Ethel Harrison.[5][8] Williams was the oldest person in the world with one living parent.[9]

In the 1970s, Francis ran the coffee shop at KTRK-TV in Houston.[5] She never learned to drive, so she used the bus or relied on family members for transportation.[4] She had used a wheelchair since 2016.[4] Francis avoided smoking her whole life and often grew vegetables in her backyard. She attributed her long life to her faith in God.[10][11][12]

On February 22, 2024, Francis became the oldest person in the United States following the death of 116-year-old Edie Ceccarelli of California. Following the death of 117-year-old American-born Spaniard Maria Branyas on August 19, 2024, she became the oldest American-born person and the third-oldest-living person in the world.

Francis died on October 22, 2024, at the age of 115 years and 89 days.[13] Following her death, Naomi Whitehead of Greenville, Pennsylvania became the oldest-living person in the United States.[14]

References

  1. ^ "Edie Ceccarelli, oldest person in US, dies 2 weeks after 116th birthday". WFTV. February 24, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  2. ^ Caplan, Anna Lazarus (August 11, 2023). "Houston Woman Born During Taft Presidency Marks 114th Birthday with Five Generations of Family". Peoplemag. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  3. ^ Correa, Melissa (July 25, 2021). "112 years young: Houstonian Elizabeth Francis celebrates her big day in a big way". KHOU. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e Free, Cathy (August 18, 2023). "At age 114, here's her advice: 'Speak your mind and don't hold your tongue'". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c Lawson, Melanie (August 10, 2023). "'This is a blessing, the Lord's blessing': Texas' oldest woman celebrates her 114th birthday". ABC13 Houston. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  6. ^ A, Pawlowski (August 16, 2023). "Texas woman, 114, has simple tips for long life and 1 personality trait for longevity". TODAY.com. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  7. ^ Eichenberg, Gretchen (August 21, 2023). "Texas woman celebrates her 114th birthday, attributing her long life to God: 'Just the Lord keeping me here'". Fox News. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  8. ^ Shafiq, Saman (July 25, 2024). "'America's Grandmother' turns 115: Meet the oldest living person in the US, Elizabeth Francis". USA Today. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  9. ^ "Elizabeth Francis, United States' oldest living person, celebrated her 115th birthday – Gerontology Research Group". grg-supercentenarians.org. July 25, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  10. ^ "110-year-old Houston woman credits longevity to faith in God". ABC7 San Francisco. July 29, 2019. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  11. ^ Lawson, Melanie (August 10, 2023). "'This is a blessing, the Lord's blessing': Texas' oldest woman celebrates her 114th birthday". ABC13 Houston. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  12. ^ Lawson, Melanie (February 5, 2021). "111-year-old Houston woman shares secrets to longevity". ABC13 Houston. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  13. ^ Meyers, Ben (October 23, 2024). "Elizabeth Francis, Oldest American, Dies at Age 115". LongeviQuest. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  14. ^ "World Supercentenarian Rankings List". Gerontology Research Group. March 29, 2024. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
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