Bessie Hendricks, who is believed to have been the oldest woman in America, has died. According to reports, the 115-year-old passed away on Tuesday at the Shady Oaks Care Center in Lake City, Iowa, just months after celebrating what would be her final birthday on November 7. The Gerontology Research Group had named Hendricks the oldest living person in the U.S. just one year ago, having simultaneously also held the title of the fourth-oldest person alive in the world.
Hendricks, who was born in 1907 welcomed five children after tying the knot with her husband Paul Hendricks in 1930. She was old enough to have witnessed some of the biggest moments in history, including the sinking of the Titanic ship, both World War I and II, the Spanish flu, the Great Depression, and, most of all, Covid-19. Needless to say, Hendricks certainly lived quite an eventful life.
America’s oldest person has died aged 115
Born in 1907 Bessie Hendricks was already 7 years old when WW1 started.
Born Iowa she was married for 65 yrs and had 5 children
A long life lived. pic.twitter.com/WmxRpjIwNf
— leefer (@leefer3) January 5, 2023
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Hendricks had previously said that her secret to living a long life all came down to “hard work,” though she didn’t actually specify what she meant by the remark. “A strong will and love of family keep Bessie going,” her care center administrator said on her birthday in 2019. “She appreciates life so much.”
Hendricks was a lifelong resident of Iowa who grew up in a farm home in Lake City before she would go on to work as a teacher for four years. She left her job after meeting her husband and the pair were married up until his death in 1995.
In April 2022, the Guinness World Records revealed that a French nun, Sister André, remains the oldest living person at 118 years old following the passing of Japan’s Kane Tanaka, who died that same month at the age of 119.
The oldest living person in the US just turned 115. Bessie Hendricks’ life has spanned 21 US presidents, two World Wars, and the sinking of the Titanic. https://t.co/29HjQG2tDi pic.twitter.com/kiP3u4vBT8
— CNN (@CNN) November 13, 2022
According to NBC News, Hendricks’ funeral service will be held at the Lampe & Powers Funeral Home on Saturday. Her passing means that the oldest living person in the U.S. has now been passed down to Edie Ceccarelli, a resident of California, who is 114 years old.
Social media has since reacted to the news of Hnedricks’ death, with one person writing on Twitter, “Rest in Peace Bessie Hendricks. My deepest condolences and sympathy to all her loved ones. She will be missed by all of us.”