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Gertrude Weaver (July 4, 1898 - April 6, 2015) was an African American supercentenarian. She was born in Arkansas near the border with Texas. At the age of 116 years, 276 days, Weaver was the verified oldest living person in the world. She became the oldest living person in the United States upon the death of Dina Manfredini on December 17, 2012, and became the oldest living person in the world on April 1, 2015 following the death of Japanese woman Misao Okawa.[2] She is the seventh verified oldest person ever, and the third oldest person ever from the United States, after Sarah Knauss and Lucy Hannah.
Biography
Weaver was born in southwestern Arkansas to Charles Gaines (b. May 1861) and Ophelia Jeffreys (b. December 1866),[3] who were black sharecroppers.[4] She married on July 18, 1915 and had four children. At the time of her 116th birthday one son, Joe,[3] was still alive at age 93.[5]
At 104, she moved to the Camden nursing home after she broke her hip. With rehabilitation, she recovered from the injury and was able to move back to her home with the help of her granddaughter. At 109, she returned to the nursing home, Silver Oaks Health and Rehabilitation in Camden, Arkansas.[5]
Her health declined somewhat after her 115th birthday but she still left her room for meals and activities at the nursing home.[5] Weaver did not have any chronic health problems typical of people her age, slept well and did not drink or smoke.[6]
Weaver told the Associated Press that there are three factors that have contributed to her longevity: "Trusting in the Lord, hard work and loving everybody."[5][7] Weaver added a fourth factor when she told Time magazine that trying to do your best is another factor adding "Just do what you can, and if we can't, we can't"[6] or, in other words, "Kindness".[8]
At her 116th birthday celebration, the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) announced that they had verified Weaver's age making her the oldest verified living American and they presented her with a plaque inscribed with her title as oldest American on it[5][9][10][11] (the GRG and Guinness World Records established that Weaver was older than Jeralean Talley who was previously thought to be the oldest). She also received a letter from President Barack Obama and the Mayor of Camden declared her birthday "Gertrude Day."[11]
On April 6, 2015, Gertrude Weaver died in Silver Oaks Health and Rehabilitation Center at the age of 116 from pneumonia.
Biography
Weaver was born in southwestern Arkansas to Charles Gaines (b. May 1861) and Ophelia Jeffreys (b. December 1866),[3] who were black sharecroppers.[4] She married on July 18, 1915 and had four children. At the time of her 116th birthday one son, Joe,[3] was still alive at age 93.[5]
At 104, she moved to the Camden nursing home after she broke her hip. With rehabilitation, she recovered from the injury and was able to move back to her home with the help of her granddaughter. At 109, she returned to the nursing home, Silver Oaks Health and Rehabilitation in Camden, Arkansas.[5]
Her health declined somewhat after her 115th birthday but she still left her room for meals and activities at the nursing home.[5] Weaver did not have any chronic health problems typical of people her age, slept well and did not drink or smoke.[6]
Weaver told the Associated Press that there are three factors that have contributed to her longevity: "Trusting in the Lord, hard work and loving everybody."[5][7] Weaver added a fourth factor when she told Time magazine that trying to do your best is another factor adding "Just do what you can, and if we can't, we can't"[6] or, in other words, "Kindness".[8]
At her 116th birthday celebration, the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) announced that they had verified Weaver's age making her the oldest verified living American and they presented her with a plaque inscribed with her title as oldest American on it[5][9][10][11] (the GRG and Guinness World Records established that Weaver was older than Jeralean Talley who was previously thought to be the oldest). She also received a letter from President Barack Obama and the Mayor of Camden declared her birthday "Gertrude Day."[11]
On April 6, 2015, Gertrude Weaver died in Silver Oaks Health and Rehabilitation Center at the age of 116 from pneumonia.
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first it giveth then it taketh away
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Cant be many left who were born in the 19c. A year ago there was nine.
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My dad was born in the 19th century.
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Dad, NOT grandad.
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