Hester Ford, the oldest living American, has died in North Carolina, her family said.
Ford was 115 or 116 years old, whichever census report was correct. According to the Gerontology Research Group, which tracks “supercentenarians,” her age was reported as 115 years and 245 days. On July 30, she was the oldest registered person living in the US
Ford died Saturday after enduring the 1918 flu COVID-19 pandemics, two world wars and the rise of the civil rights movement. Her great-granddaughter Tanisha Patterson-Powe said in a statement obtained by CBS affiliated WBTV that her “light shone outside of her surroundings.”
“She represented the advancement not only of our family, but of the black African American race and culture in our country,” said Patterson-Powe. She reminded us how far we have come as people on this Earth. She is celebrated around the world by local governments, community leaders, social media, foreign dignities and presidents as a cherished gem of society for holding the honor of being the oldest living person in America. “
Diedra Laird / The Charlotte Observer via AP, File
Born in Lancaster, South Carolina, Ford grew up working on a farm where she planted and picked cotton, plowed the field, and chopped wood.
She was married to John Ford, a steel worker, for 45 years, and together they moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 1953. Since then she has stayed in the city and became a fixture in her community. She was a long-time member of the Macedonia Baptist Church, where she attended Communion every first Sunday of every month prior to the coronavirus pandemic. Last year, county commissioners declared September 1 Hester Ford Day in Mecklenburg County, WBTV reported.
Ford had 12 children, 68 grandchildren, 125 great-grandchildren, and at least 120 great-great-grandchildren.
“Although she passed away, her legacy and memory will continue through her family and everyone she touched to make the world a better place for generations to come,” said Patterson-Powe.