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List of American supercentenarians facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

American supercentenarians are people living in the United States who have reached the amazing age of 110 years or older! It's a very rare achievement. As of January 2015, a group called the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) had confirmed that 782 Americans had reached this incredible age.

The oldest person born in America, who now lives in Spain, is Maria Branyas. She was born in San Francisco, California, on March 4, 1907. The oldest person living in the U.S. is Elizabeth Francis, born in Houston, Texas, on July 25, 1909. The longest-lived American ever was Sarah Knauss from Hollywood, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. She lived to be 119 years and 97 days old before she passed away on December 30, 1999.

Who are the oldest Americans?

Below is a list of the 100 longest-lived American supercentenarians. This information comes from the GRG and other reliable sources.

      Deceased       Living

Rank Name Sex Birth date Death date Age Birthplace Place of death
or residence
01 Sarah Knauss
F
September 24, 1880 December 30, 1999 119 years, 97 days Pennsylvania Pennsylvania
02 Delphia Welford
F
September 9, 1875 November 14, 1992 117 years, 66 days Mississippi Tennessee
03 Maria Branyas
F
March 4, 1907 Living 118 years, 113 days California Spain
04 Susannah Mushatt Jones
F
July 6, 1899 May 12, 2016 116 years, 311 days Alabama New York
05 Gertrude Weaver
F
July 4, 1898 April 6, 2015 116 years, 276 days Arkansas Arkansas
06 Elizabeth Bolden
F
August 15, 1890 December 11, 2006 116 years, 118 days Tennessee Tennessee
07 Besse Cooper
F
August 26, 1896 December 4, 2012 116 years, 100 days Tennessee Georgia
08 Jeralean Talley
F
May 23, 1899 June 17, 2015 116 years, 25 days Georgia Michigan
09 Edith Ceccarelli
F
February 5, 1908 February 22, 2024 116 years, 17 days California California
10 Maggie Barnes
F
March 6, 1882 January 19, 1998 115 years, 319 days North Carolina North Carolina
11 Dina Manfredini
F
April 4, 1897 December 17, 2012 115 years, 257 days Italy Iowa
12 Christian Mortensen
M
August 16, 1882 April 25, 1998 115 years, 252 days Denmark California
13 Hester Ford
F
August 15, 1905 April 17, 2021 115 years, 245 days South Carolina North Carolina
14 Edna Parker
F
April 20, 1893 November 26, 2008 115 years, 220 days Indiana Indiana
15 Margaret Skeete
F
October 27, 1878 May 7, 1994 115 years, 192 days Texas Virginia
16 Bernice Madigan
F
July 24, 1899 January 3, 2015 115 years, 163 days Massachusetts Massachusetts
17 Gertrude Baines
F
April 6, 1894 September 11, 2009 115 years, 158 days Georgia California
18 Bettie Wilson
F
September 13, 1890 February 13, 2006 115 years, 153 days Mississippi Mississippi
19 Iris Westman
F
August 28, 1905 January 3, 2021 115 years, 128 days North Dakota North Dakota
20 Marie-Josephine Gaudette
F
March 25, 1902 July 13, 2017 115 years, 110 days New Hampshire Italy
21 Susie Gibson
F
October 31, 1890 February 16, 2006 115 years, 108 days Mississippi Alabama
Thelma Sutcliffe
F
October 1, 1906 January 17, 2022 Nebraska Nebraska
23 Edna Kern
F
October 14, 1900 January 20, 2016 115 years, 98 days California Nevada
24 Augusta Holtz
F
August 3, 1871 October 21, 1986 115 years, 79 days Prussia Missouri
25 Bessie Hendricks
F
November 7, 1907 January 3, 2023 115 years, 57 days Iowa Iowa
26 Maud Farris-Luse
F
February 21, 1887 March 18, 2002 115 years, 25 days Michigan Michigan
27 Antonia Gerena Rivera
F
May 19, 1900 June 2, 2015 115 years, 14 days Puerto Rico Florida
28 Mary Bidwell
F
May 9, 1881 April 25, 1996 114 years, 352 days Connecticut Connecticut
29 Hazel Plummer
F
June 19, 1908 May 25, 2023 114 years, 340 days Massachusetts Massachusetts
30 Ophelia Burks
F
October 25, 1903 September 27, 2018 114 years, 337 days Louisiana Louisiana
31 Mary Josephine Ray
F
May 17, 1895 March 7, 2010 114 years, 294 days Canada New Hampshire
32 Goldie Steinberg
F
October 30, 1900 August 16, 2015 114 years, 290 days Moldova New York
33 Elizabeth Francis
F
July 25, 1909 Living 115 years, 335 days Louisiana Texas
34 Delphine Gibson
F
August 17, 1903 May 9, 2018 114 years, 265 days South Carolina Pennsylvania
35 Mary Royster
F
April 15, 1875 December 28, 1989 114 years, 257 days Virginia North Carolina
36 Neva Morris
F
August 3, 1895 April 6, 2010 114 years, 246 days Iowa Iowa
37 Blanche Cobb
F
September 8, 1900 May 1, 2015 114 years, 235 days Georgia Florida
38 Mila Mangold
F
November 14, 1907 July 2, 2022 114 years, 230 days Nebraska California
39 Myrtle Dorsey
F
November 20, 1885 June 25, 2000 114 years, 218 days Ohio Ohio
40 Carrie Lazenby
F
February 9, 1882 September 4, 1996 114 years, 208 days Georgia Illinois
41 Walter Breuning
M
September 21, 1896 April 14, 2011 114 years, 205 days Minnesota Montana
42 Eunice Sanborn
F
July 20, 1896 January 31, 2011 114 years, 195 days Louisiana Texas
43 Grace Clawson
F
November 15, 1887 May 28, 2002 114 years, 194 days United Kingdom New York
44 Wilhelmina Kott
F
March 7, 1880 September 6, 1994 114 years, 183 days Illinois Illinois
Adelina Domingues
F
February 19, 1888 August 21, 2002 Cape Verde California
46 Lucy Mirigian
F
August 15, 1906 February 12, 2021 114 years, 181 days Armenia California
47 Charlotte Benkner
F
November 16, 1889 May 14, 2004 114 years, 180 days Germany Ohio
48 Ettie Mae Greene
F
September 19, 1877 February 26, 1992 114 years, 160 days West Virginia West Virginia
49 Dominga Velasco
F
May 12, 1901 October 11, 2015 114 years, 152 days Mexico California
50 Irene Frank
F
October 1, 1881 February 28, 1996 114 years, 150 days Texas Missouri
51 Georgia Ella Jordan
F
September 18, 1880 February 9, 1995 114 years, 144 days Georgia Virginia
52 Olivia Patricia Thomas
F
June 29, 1895 November 16, 2009 114 years, 140 days Iowa New York
Alelia Murphy
F
July 6, 1905 November 23, 2019 North Carolina New York
54 Irene Dunham
F
December 16, 1907 May 1, 2022 114 years, 136 days Michigan Michigan
55 Nina Willis
F
January 14, 1909 May 17, 2023 114 years, 123 days Georgia Georgia
Pearl Berg
F
October 1, 1909 February 1, 2024 Indiana California
57 Anna Henderson
F
March 5, 1900 July 1, 2014 114 years, 118 days Georgia Pennsylvania
58 Emma Verona Johnston
F
August 6, 1890 December 1, 2004 114 years, 117 days Iowa Ohio
Mamie Rearden
F
September 7, 1898 January 2, 2013 South Carolina Georgia
Erna Zahn
F
April 14, 1908 August 9, 2022 Wisconsin Minnesota
61 Bettie Chatmon
F
April 30, 1884 August 16, 1998 114 years, 108 days Louisiana Texas
Lessie Brown
F
September 22, 1904 January 8, 2019 Georgia Ohio
63 Odie Matthews
F
December 28, 1878 April 14, 1993 114 years, 107 days Texas Arizona
64 Florence Knapp
F
October 10, 1873 January 11, 1988 114 years, 93 days Pennsylvania Pennsylvania
Elena Slough
F
July 4, 1889 October 5, 2003 Pennsylvania New Jersey
66 Mary Anna Boone
F
February 10, 1887 May 13, 2001 114 years, 92 days Kentucky Kentucky
67 Minnie Whicker
F
July 24, 1906 October 22, 2020 114 years, 90 days Arkansas California
68 Delma Kollar
F
October 31, 1897 January 24, 2012 114 years, 85 days Kansas Oregon
69 Ila Jones
F
August 21, 1903 November 10, 2017 114 years, 81 days Georgia Georgia
70 Maggie Renfro
F
November 14, 1895 January 22, 2010 114 years, 69 days Louisiana Louisiana
71 Emma Tillman
F
November 22, 1892 January 28, 2007 114 years, 67 days North Carolina Connecticut
Anna Stoehr
F
October 15, 1900 December 21, 2014 Iowa Minnesota
73 Leila Denmark
F
February 1, 1898 April 1, 2012 114 years, 60 days Georgia Georgia
74 Adele Dunlap
F
December 12, 1902 February 5, 2017 114 years, 55 days New Jersey New Jersey
75 Naomi Conner
F
August 30, 1899 October 18, 2013 114 years, 49 days Texas Texas
Ora Holland
F
December 24, 1900 February 11, 2015 Missouri Oklahoma
77 Katie Hatton
F
December 18, 1877 January 24, 1992 114 years, 37 days Texas Texas
78 Ellen Goodwill
F
February 2, 1907 March 2, 2021 114 years, 28 days Kentucky Michigan
79 Grace Thaxton
F
June 18, 1891 July 6, 2005 114 years, 18 days New York Kentucky
80 Soledad Mexia
F
August 13, 1899 August 30, 2013 114 years, 17 days Mexico California
81 Minnie Ward
F
November 19, 1885 December 2, 1999 114 years, 13 days Tennessee Massachusetts
82 Arbella Ewing
F
March 13, 1894 March 22, 2008 114 years, 9 days Texas Texas
83 Catherine Hagel
F
November 28, 1894 December 6, 2008 114 years, 8 days Minnesota Minnesota
84 Emma Otis
F
October 22, 1901 October 25, 2015 114 years, 3 days Washington Washington
85 Fred H. Hale, Sr.
M
December 1, 1890 November 19, 2004 113 years, 354 days Maine New York
86 Miriam Carpelan
F
July 8, 1882 June 22, 1996 113 years, 350 days United Kingdom California
Elsie Thompson
F
April 5, 1899 March 21, 2013 Pennsylvania Florida
88 Bertha Fry
F
December 1, 1893 November 14, 2007 113 years, 348 days Indiana Indiana
89 Mae Harrington
F
January 20, 1889 December 29, 2002 113 years, 343 days New York New York
90 Daisey Bailey
F
March 30, 1896 March 7, 2010 113 years, 342 days Tennessee Michigan
91 Secundina Camarena
F
July 16, 1891 June 20, 2005 113 years, 339 days Mexico California
92 Agatha Mitchell
F
March 26, 1887 February 25, 2001 113 years, 336 days Virginia Virginia
93 Goldie Michelson
F
August 8, 1902 July 8, 2016 113 years, 335 days Ukraine Massachusetts
94 Merle Barwis
F
December 23, 1900 November 22, 2014 113 years, 334 days Iowa Canada
95 Clara Huhn
F
January 28, 1887 December 20, 2000 113 years, 327 days Nebraska California
Beulah Meloche
F
December 5, 1906 October 27, 2020 New York New York
97 Eliza Underwood
F
March 15, 1867 January 27, 1981 113 years, 318 days North Carolina District of Columbia
Corinne Dixon Taylor
F
April 2, 1893 February 14, 2007 District of Columbia District of Columbia
99 Annabelle Holblinger
F
March 16, 1909 January 27, 2023 113 years, 317 days New York Colorado
100 Mary Christian
F
June 12, 1889 April 20, 2003 113 years, 312 days Massachusetts California

Stories of supercentenarians

Mary Bidwell

Mary Electa Bidwell (born May 9, 1881 – died April 25, 1996) was an American supercentenarian. She lived to be 114 years and 352 days old. She is the oldest person ever recorded to have died in Connecticut.

Mary's parents were Charles Woodruff Bidwell and Alice Beach Nobel. She was a descendant of John Bidwell, who helped start Hartford, Connecticut. Mary worked as a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse for six years. In 1906, she married Charles Hubbell Bidwell, who was a distant cousin. Mary lived by herself in North Haven, Connecticut, until she was 110 years old. She passed away at the Arden House, a nursing home in Hamden, Connecticut.

Maggie Barnes

Maggie Pauline Barnes (born Hinnant; March 6, 1882 – died January 19, 1998) was an American supercentenarian. Her mother was a former slave. Maggie married a tenant farmer. She died in Johnston County, North Carolina, on January 19, 1998.

There was some discussion about her exact birth year. Her family bible says 1882. However, the 1900 US Census says 1881, and her marriage license says 1880. Based on her family bible, Maggie lived for 115 years and 319 days.

Adelina Domingues

Adelina Domingues (born February 19, 1888 – died August 21, 2002) was a supercentenarian from Cape Verde. She was considered the oldest person in the world for a short time in 2002. This was after Grace Clawson, another supercentenarian, passed away.

Adelina was born in Cape Verde. Her father was Italian and worked as a harbor pilot. Her mother was Portuguese. In 1907, Adelina married a ship captain and moved to the United States. Her husband died in 1950. Adelina was a missionary for the Church of the Nazarene in Cape Verde and other parts of Africa. She was also a religious preacher in Massachusetts. She was a skilled seamstress too.

Adelina strongly believed in the American Dream. She was very religious and had conservative political ideas. She even exchanged letters with former President of the United States Ronald Reagan. She had four children, but only one son, Frank, lived to be an adult. Frank died in 1998 at age 71, and Adelina lived for four more years after him. Adelina Domingues passed away at a nursing home in the San Diego, California, area on August 21, 2002. She was 114 years and 183 days old. She had thought she was 115, but her family and diplomats from Cape Verde found her baptism records. These records showed she was 114 when she died.

Charlotte Benkner

Charlotte Benkner (born Enterlein; November 16, 1889 – died May 14, 2004) was an American supercentenarian. She was thought to be the world's oldest person from 2003 to 2004. Later, when other supercentenarians were confirmed, she was ranked as the third oldest person at the time of her death.

Charlotte was born in Leipzig, Germany. She moved to the U.S. in 1896. She grew up in Peekskill, New York, where her family ran the Albert Hotel. As a young woman, she once met then-U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. After marrying Karl Benkner in 1908, she moved to Pennsylvania and Ohio. She later retired to Arizona.

Even as a supercentenarian and the oldest person in Arizona, Charlotte moved back to Ohio. She lived in North Lima with her youngest sister, Tillie O'Hare. Tillie passed away in January 2004, just three weeks before her 100th birthday. Charlotte died only four months after her sister, at 114 years and 180 days old. She had a short stay in a hospital in Youngstown, Ohio, before she passed.

Emma Verona Johnston

Emma Verona Johnston (born Calhoun; August 6, 1890 – died December 1, 2004) was an American supercentenarian. She was born into a large family in Indianola, Iowa. She graduated from Drake University in 1912. She then worked as a Latin teacher. Later, she married Harry Johnston, an eye doctor. When she passed away, she was the oldest living graduate of Drake University.

At age 98, Emma moved from Iowa to Ohio to live with her daughter and son-in-law. Even after she turned 110, she was still in good health. She was alert, enjoyed conversations, and could still walk up steps. In May 2004, she became the oldest known living American. Three months later, on her 114th birthday, she received a special paper signed by then-Drake University President David Maxwell. The university's Vice President, John Willey, even suggested she receive an honorary degree. Emma Johnston passed away in Worthington, Ohio, on December 1, 2004. She was 114 years and 117 days old.

Bettie Wilson

Bettie Antry Wilson (born Rutherford; September 13, 1890 – died February 13, 2006) was the oldest person ever recorded in Mississippi. She was considered the oldest living person in the United States from December 2004. This was until Elizabeth Bolden was confirmed as older. Both Bettie and Elizabeth were born in the rural South, living less than 100 miles apart. Bettie was the daughter of freed slaves, Solomon and Delia Rutherford.

In April 2005, Bettie moved into a new home in New Albany. This home was paid for by donations. She celebrated her 115th birthday in September 2005. She passed away on February 13, 2006, at 115 years and 153 days old.

George Francis

George Rene Francis (born June 6, 1896 – died December 27, 2008) was an American supercentenarian. He was the second-oldest living man in the world, tied with Henry Allingham from England. Both were born on June 6, 1896. George was also the oldest living man in the United States after February 8, 2007.

George was from New Orleans, Louisiana. After 1949, he lived in Sacramento, California. A local newspaper there published a poem that George loved to share with friends and the public. He believed his long life was due to nature. He also enjoyed eating pork, eggs, milk, and lard. He stopped smoking cigars when he was 75.

George tried to join the army in World War I in 1918. However, he was not accepted because he was too short and small. He weighed only about 100 pounds. Despite this, he later became a boxer. After that, he worked as a barber and then as a chauffeur.

Bernice Madigan

Bernice Madigan (born Emerson; July 24, 1899 – died January 3, 2015) was born in West Springfield, Massachusetts. She moved to Cheshire when she was six. In 1918, after finishing Adams High School, she joined government efforts to hire women during World War I. She moved to Washington, D.C.. After the war, she worked as a secretary for the Department of the Treasury and the Veterans Administration.

She married Paul Madigan in 1925; he passed away in 1976. They lived in the Washington, D.C., area and then in Silver Spring, Maryland. Bernice retired in 1942. After retiring, she volunteered at her church and at nursing homes, playing piano for the residents. She moved back to Massachusetts in 2007 to live with family.

Bernice took part in the Boston University School of Medicine's New England Centenarian Study. She was also interviewed and filmed by the Center for Aging at the University of Chicago and ABC World News. She is one of 100 centenarians featured in The Archon Genomics XPRIZE. She even joined social media, with profiles on Facebook and Twitter. Bernice Madigan passed away peacefully in her sleep on January 3, 2015. She was 115 years and 163 days old. At the time of her death, she was the oldest person living in Massachusetts. She was also the fourth-oldest living person in the United States and the fifth-oldest living person in the world.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Anexo:Supercentenarios estadounidenses para niños

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