Besse Cooper facts for kids

Besse Berry Cooper (born August 26, 1896 – died December 4, 2012) was an American woman. She lived to be 116 years and 100 days old! This made her one of the oldest people ever whose age was officially checked.

For a time, Besse Cooper was thought to be the oldest living person in the world. She became the oldest person in the United States when Eunice Sanborn passed away in January 2011. Later, it was found that a woman from Brazil named Maria Gomes Valentim was a little older. But when Maria passed away in June 2011, Besse Cooper became the world's oldest living person again. She was also the last person born in 1896 to still be alive.

Besse Cooper's Early Life and Education

Besse Cooper was born as Besse Berry Brown. Her birthday was August 26, 1896. She was born in Sullivan County, Tennessee. She was the third of eight children in her family. Her parents were Richard Brown and Angeline Berry.

Besse went to East Tennessee State Normal School. This school is now called East Tennessee State University. She graduated from there in 1916.

Becoming a Suffragette

While she was a college student, Besse joined an important movement. This was called the first wave of feminism in the United States. She became a "suffragette." A suffragette was a woman who fought for women's right to vote.

For many years, women in the U.S. did not have the same voting rights as men. Brave women like Besse worked hard to change this. Their efforts led to a big change in the law. In August 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment was added to the U.S. Constitution. This amendment gave women the right to vote in all states. Besse's home state of Tennessee was the 36th state to approve this change. This made the amendment official!

Moving to Georgia and Teaching Career

Besse Cooper worked as a school teacher. She taught until 1917. This was when America joined World War I. After that, she moved to Georgia.

She taught in a town called Between in Walton County. She was the main teacher in a one-room schoolhouse. She taught there until 1929.

Family Life and Later Years

In 1924, Besse married Luther Cooper. They were married until he passed away in 1963. They had four children together.

Besse also had a large family with many grandchildren. She had eleven grandchildren, thirteen great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren. In her final years, Besse lived in a nursing home in Monroe, Georgia.

Honoring Besse Cooper

In August 2012, something special happened. A bridge in the town of Between was named after her. It was called the "Besse Brown Cooper Bridge." This was done to honor her long life and contributions.

Besse Cooper's Passing

Besse Cooper passed away on December 4, 2012. She was 116 years and 100 days old. She died from respiratory failure. After her death, an Italian-born American woman named Dina Manfredini became the oldest living person. Dina passed away just 13 days later.

See also

In Spanish: Besse Cooper para niños