America’s oldest person has passed away, but she left quite a legacy – not the least of which is some 120 great-great-grandchildren.
Hester Ford of Charlotte, North Carolina, died at the age of 116, according to WBTV.
Born in 1904 in Lancaster, South Carolina, Ford grew up working on a farm, planting and picking cotton, and plowing the fields, according to the local station.
In addition to her legion of greats, the matriarch had 12 children, 48 grandchildren, and 108 great-grandchildren, according to the report.
Her exact age was unclear. A series of censuses record her birth on August 15, 1904, but another series shows that she was born in 1905. However, last year the Gerontology Research Group stated that she was the oldest person in the US.
She died peacefully at home surrounded by family, her great-granddaughter said, according to the station.
“Her light shone outside of her local environment and she lived more than a century with memories that include a lifelike experience spanning more than 100 years,” Tanisha Patterson-Powe reportedly said.
“She represented not only the advancement of our family, but also of the black African American race and culture in our country. She reminded us how far we have come as humans on this earth. She is celebrated around the world by local governments, community leaders, social media, foreign dignities and presidents as a beloved gem of society for having the honor of being the oldest living person in America. “
According to the report, Ford’s 45-year-old husband died in 1963, half a century ago.
COVID-19 was not the first church-going pandemic; she also lived through the 1918 flu pandemic.
Ford ate half a banana for breakfast every day, and when asked last year about the secret to her longevity, she said, “I’m just living right, all I know.”
Local county commissioners proclaimed September 1 Mother Hester McCardell Ford Day in Mecklenburg County in her honor last year.
“We are honored and we thank God for the opportunity to celebrate her,” said Mary Hill, one of Hester Ford’s 68 grandchildren, according to the local station.
She just continues to be a blessing to us. And she tells us all the time. You are here to bless someone else. “