A North Carolina woman who was documented as the oldest living American citizen has passed away, her great-granddaughter confirmed to CNN. Hester Ford was considered to be 115 years old at the time of her death, according to the Gerontology Research Group, who originally asserted that she was the oldest living American. However, Ford’s family claims that she was actually born in August 1904, making her lifespan 116 years.
“It is overwhelming, yet an awakening experience to realize my grandmother wasn’t just an ordinary woman, she was E-X-T-R-A-ordinary,” Ford’s great-granddaughter, Tanisha Patterson-Powe told CNN.
“She never ‘fit into a one size fit all box’ as she was a master inventor and innovator — a trailblazer setting her own trends within the community and her home.” Patterson-Powe revealed that Ford died peacefully in her home this past Saturday, April 17 with family by her side.
Ford was born in Lancaster, South Carolina, but moved to North Carolina during the 1950s, according to WBTV in Charlotte. Growing up on a southern farm, she regularly picked cotton, plowed fields and participated in other laborious tasks. She married at 15 to John Ford, a steelworker, and celebrated 45 years with him before his passing in 1963.
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Living through several generations in her family, Ford gave birth to 12 children and currently has 48 grandchildren. She also leaves behind 108 great-grandchildren and around 120 great-great-grandchildren, WBTV reports. According to the Associated Press, Ford’s routine in the last few years consisted of eating breakfast with half a banana, listening to gospel music and solving puzzles.
Speaking on her great-grandmother’s legacy, Patterson-Rowe told WBTV, “Although she has passed, her legacy and memory will continue to live on through her family and everyone she has touched to make the world a better place for generations to come.”
Rest in peace, Hester Ford. The matriarch will be missed by many.
