It is interesting to note that eight of the top ten are African American or mixed race.

As of January 2023:

Posted by: @heatwave116

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Here is a list of the top 100 oldest people to have died in the USA. This list is made up of validated cases and those that are true (or very likely to be); only the state of death is listed for simplicity.

Delphia Welford; 9 Sept 1875 - 14 Nov 1992; 117y, 66d; Tennessee

It's too uncertain to list Delphia Welford as age 117. Her earliest documentation is not unequivocal on this. Her two 1880 US Census entries both give an age of 5 for her, but among her two 1880 Mississippi state census entries, one gives an age of 4 for her and one gives an age of 5 for her. So, age 116 for her is safer. Her 1892 school census record and her 1900 US Census entry both also imply a final age of 116 for her (her 1885 school census record implies a final age of 115 for her, but it's an exception among her early-life documentation).

Delphia Welford's gravestone apparently lists her as being born on October 15, so maybe that's a safer birthday for her since it's later in the year than September 9?

https://sites.rootsweb.com/~tngibson/cemeteries/rosehill.htm

(Her 1900 US Census entry lists her as being born in April 1876, but no exact birth date is given. I suspect that she herself did not know her own birth date, and neither did her siblings based on their own changing birth dates throughout their lives.)

Anyway, even if Delphia Welford will be listed here as being born on October 15, 1876 (a rather conservative birth date for her--she could have been born earlier), she would still be in the top 10 here. Quite amazing for a woman who died over 30 years ago!

Also, have you ever considered doing a similar list for the men?

Posted by: @930310

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It is interesting to note that eight of the top ten are African American or mixed race.

Yep, that's the legendary African-American longevity advantage at extreme ages:

https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/gerontology_theses/10/

It's similar for the US-born men who were born after 1890. The ones who aren't black have extreme difficulty living beyond their 112th birthday. So far, only Walter Breuning managed to do this out of the non-black US-born men who were born after 1890. But there were several black US-born men who were born after 1890 who managed to live past their 112th birthday, though if I recall correctly, none of them actually managed to live to age 113+, though Moses Hardy did come close.

Update as of 20 September 2023.

If anyone has any corrections/adjustments, please let me know.

1. Sarah Knauss; 24 Sept 1880 - 30 Dec 1999; 119y, 97d; Pennsylvania
2. Delphia Welford; 9 Sept 1875 - 14 Nov 1992; 117y, 66d; Tennessee
3. Maggie Barnes; 6 Mar 1881 - 19 Jan 1998; 116y, 319d; North Carolina
4. Susannah Mushatt Jones; 6 July 1899 - 12 May 2016; 116y, 311d; New York
5. Gertrude Weaver; 4 July 1898 - 6 Apr 2015; 116y, 276d; Arkansas
6. Elizabeth Bolden; 15 Aug 1890 - 11 Dec 2006; 116y, 118d; Tennessee
7. Besse Cooper; 26 Aug 1896 - 4 Dec 2012; 116y, 100d; Georgia
8. Easter Wiggins; 1 June 1874 - 7 July 1990; 116y, 36d; Mississippi
9. Jeralean Talley; 23 May 1899 - 17 June 2015; 116y, 25d; Michigan
10. Ella Miller; 6 Dec 1884 - 21 Nov 2000; 115y, 351d; Virginia
11. Dina Manfredini; 4 Apr 1897 - 17 Dec 2012; 115y, 257d; Iowa (b. Italy)
12. Christian Mortensen; 16 Aug 1882 - 25 Apr 1998; 115y, 252d; California (male, b. Denmark)
13. Hester Ford; 15 Aug 1905 - 17 Apr 2021; 115y, 245d; North Carolina
14. Sadie Caver; 1 Apr 1888 - 21 Nov 2003; 115y, 234d; Alabama
15. Edie Ceccarelli; 5 Feb 1908 - Living; 115y, 227d+; California
16. Edna Parker; 20 Apr 1893 - 26 Nov 2008; 115y, 220d; Indiana
17. Margaret Skeete; 27 Oct 1878 - 7 May 1994; 115y, 192d; Virginia
18. Bernice Madigan; 24 July 1899 - 3 Jan 2015; 115y, 163d; Massachusetts
19. Gertrude Baines; 6 Apr 1894 - 11 Sept 2009; 115y, 158d; California
20. Bettie Wilson; 13 Sept 1890 - 13 Feb 2006; 115y, 153d; Mississippi
21. Iris Westman; 28 Aug 1905 - 3 Jan 2021; 115y, 128d; North Dakota
22. Thelma Sutcliffe; 1 Oct 1906 - 17 Jan 2022; 115y, 108d; Nebraska (42112 days)
23. Susie Gibson; 31 Oct 1890 - 16 Feb 2006; 115y, 108d; Alabama (42111 days)
24. Augusta Holtz; 3 Aug 1871 - 21 Oct 1986; 115y, 79d; Missouri (b. Poland)
25. Bessie Hendricks; 7 Nov 1907 - 3 Jan 2023; 115y, 57d; Iowa
26. Katie Hatton; 18 Dec 1876 - 24 Jan 1992; 115y, 37d; Texas
27. Maud Farris-Luse; 21 Feb 1887 - 18 Mar 2002; 115y, 25d; Ohio
28. Antonia Gerena Rivera; 19 May 1900 - 2 June 2015; 115y, 14d; Florida (b. Puerto Rico)
29. Mary Bidwell; 9 May 1881 - 25 Apr 1996; 114y, 352d; Connecticut
30. Hazel Plummer; 19 June 1908 - 25 May 2023; 114y, 340d; Massachusetts
31. Ophelia Burks; 25 Oct 1903 - 27 Sept 2018; 114y, 337d; Louisiana
32. Ella Gantt; 30 Nov 1886 - 28 Oct 2001; 114y, 332d; Georgia
33. Eliza Underwood; 15 Mar 1866 - 27 Jan 1981; 114y, 318d; District of Columbia
34. Mary Josephine Ray; 17 May 1895 - 7 Mar 2010; 114y, 294d; New Hampshire (b. Canada)
35. Goldie Steinberg; 30 Oct 1900 - 16 Aug 2015; 114y, 290d; New York (b. Moldova)
36. Delphine Gibson; 17 Aug 1903 - 9 May 2018; 114y, 265d; Pennsylvania
37. Mary Royster; 15 Apr 1875 - 28 Dec 1989; 114y, 257d; North Carolina
38. Neva Morris; 3 Aug 1895 - 6 Apr 2010; 114y, 246d; Iowa
39. Blanche Cobb; 8 Sept 1900 - 1 May 2015; 114y, 235d; Florida
40. Mila Mangold; 14 Nov 1907 - 2 July 2022; 114y, 230d; California
41. Myrtle Dorsey; 20 Nov 1885 - 25 June 2000; 114y, 218d; Ohio
42. Walter Breuning; 21 Sept 1896 - 14 Apr 2011; 114y, 205d; Montana
43. Eunice Sanborn; 20 July 1896 - 31 Jan 2011; 114y, 195d; Texas (tied, 41832 days)
44. Grace Clawson; 15 Nov 1887 - 28 May 2002; 114y, 194d; Florida (tied, 41832 days, b. UK)
45. Wilhelmina Kott; 6 Mar 1880 - 6 Sept 1994; 114y, 183d; Illinois (tied, 41821 days)
46. Adelina Domingues; 19 Feb 1888 - 21 Aug 2002; 114y, 183d; California (tied, 41821 days, b. Cape Verde)
47. Lucy Mirigian; 15 Aug 1906 - 12 Feb 2021; 114y, 181d; California (b. Turkey)
48. Charlotte Benkner; 16 Nov 1889 - 14 May 2004; 114y, 180d; Ohio (b. Germany)
49. Ettie Mae Greene; 8 Sept 1877 - 26 Feb 1992; 114y, 171d; West Virginia
50. Dominga Velasco; 12 May 1901 - 11 Oct 2015; 114y, 152d; California (b. Mexico)
51. Irene Frank; 1 Oct 1881 - 28 Feb 1996; 114y, 150d; Texas
52. Georgie Jordan; 18 Sept 1880 - 9 Feb 1995; 114y, 144d; Virginia
53. Olivia Patricia Thomas; 29 June 1895 - 16 Nov 2009; 114y, 140d; New York (tied, 41778 days)
54. Alelia Murphy; 6 July 1905 - 23 Nov 2019; 114y, 140d; New York (tied, 41778 days)
55. Irene Dunham; 16 Dec 1907 - 1 May 2022; 114y, 136d; Michigan
56. Carrie Lazenby; 9 May 1882 - 14 Sept 1996; 114y, 128d; Illinois
57. Nina Willis; 14 Jan 1909 - 17 May 2023; 114y, 123d; Georgia
58. Anna Henderson; 5 Mar 1900 - 1 July 2014; 114y, 118d; Pennsylvania
59. Emma Verona Johnston; 6 Aug 1890 - 1 Dec 2004; 114y, 117d; Ohio (tied, 41755 days)
60. Mamie Rearden; 7 Sept 1898 - 2 Jan 2013; 114y, 117d; Georgia (tied, 41755 days)
61. Erna Zahn; 14 Apr 1908 - 9 Aug 2022; 114y, 117d; Minnesota (tied, 41755 days)
62. Lessie Brown; 22 Sept 1904 - 8 Jan 2019; 114y, 108d; Ohio (41746 days)
63. Bettie Chatmon; 30 Apr 1884 - 16 Aug 1998; 114y, 108d; Texas (tied, 41745 days)
64. Odie Matthews; 28 Dec 1878 - 14 Apr 1993; 114y, 107d; Arizona (tied, 41745 days)
65. Florence Knapp; 10 Oct 1873 - 11 Jan 1988; 114y, 93d; Pennsylvania (tied, 41730 days)
66. Elena Slough; 4 July 1889 - 5 Oct 2003; 114y, 93d; New Jersey (tied, 41730 days)
67. Mary Anna Boone; 10 Feb 1887 - 13 May 2001; 114y, 92d; Kentucky (tied, 41730 days)
68. Minnie Whicker; 24 July 1906 - 22 Oct 2020; 114y, 90d; California
69. Delma Kollar; 31 Oct 1897 - 24 Jan 2012; 114y, 85d; Oregon
70. Ila Jones; 21 Aug 1903 - 10 Nov 2017; 114y, 81d; Georgia
71. Maggie Renfro; 14 Nov 1895 - 22 Jan 2010; 114y, 69d; Louisiana
72. Anna Stoehr; 15 Oct 1900 - 21 Dec 2014; 114y, 67d; Minnesota (41705 days)
73. Emma Tillman; 22 Nov 1892 - 28 Jan 2007; 114y, 67d; Connecticut (41704 days)
74. Leila Denmark; 1 Feb 1898 - 1 Apr 2012; 114y, 60d; Georgia
75. Elizabeth Francis; 25 July 1909 - Living; 114y, 57d+; Texas
76. Adele Dunlap; 12 Dec 1902 - 5 Feb 2017; 114y, 55d; New Jersey
77. Naomi Conner; 30 Aug 1899 - 18 Oct 2013; 114y, 49d; Texas (tied, 41687 days)
78. Ora Holland; 24 Dec 1900 - 11 Feb 2015; 114y, 49d; Oklahoma
79. Ellen Goodwill; 2 Feb 1907 - 2 Mar 2021; 114y, 28d; Michigan
80. Grace Thaxton; 18 June 1891 - 6 July 2005; 114y, 18d; Kentucky
81. Soledad Mexia; 13 Aug 1899 - 30 Aug 2013; 114y, 17d; California (b. Mexico)
82. Minnie Ward; 19 Nov 1885 - 2 Dec 1999; 114y, 13d; Massachusetts
83. Arbella Ewing; 13 Mar 1894 - 22 Mar 2008; 114y, 9d; Texas
84. Catherine Hagel; 28 Nov 1894 - 6 Dec 2008; 114y, 8d; Minnesota
85. Emma Otis; 22 Oct 1901 - 25 Oct 2015; 114y, 3d; Washington
86. Ellen Jurick; 15 July 1895 - 13 July 2009; 113y, 363d; Michigan
87. Pearl Berg; 1 Oct 1909 - Living; 113y, 354d+; California
88. Fred Hale; 1 Dec 1890 - 19 Nov 2004; 113y, 354d; New York (male)
89. Elsie Thompson; 5 Apr 1899 - 21 Mar 2004; 113y, 350d; Florida (41623 days)
90. Miriam Carpelan; 8 July 1882 - 22 June 1996; 113y, 350d; California (41622 days, b. UK)
91. Bertha Fry; 1 Dec 1893 - 14 Nov 2007; 113y, 348d; Indiana
92. Mae Harrington; 20 Jan 1889 - 29 Dec 2002; 113y, 343d; New York
93. Daisey Bailey; 30 Mar 1896 - 7 Mar 2010; 113y, 342d; Michigan
94. Agatha Mitchell; 26 Mar 1887 - 25 Feb 2001; 113y, 336d; Virginia
95. Goldie Michelson; 8 Aug 1902 - 8 July 2016; 113y, 335d; Massachusetts (b. Ukraine)
96. Louvenia Posey; 5 Apr 1900 - 1 Mar 2014; 113y, 330d; Texas
97. Beulah Meloche; 5 Dec 1906 - 27 Oct 2020; 113y, 327d; New York (41600 days)
98. Clara Huhn; 28 Jan 1887 - 20 Dec 2000; 113y, 327d; California (41599 days)
99. Corinne Dixon Taylor; 2 Apr 1893 - 14 Feb 2007; 113y, 318d; District of Columbia
100. Mary Christian; 12 June 1889 - 20 Apr 2003; 113y, 312d; California (tied, 41584 days)
101. Florence Carroll; 9 June 1907 - 15 Apr 2021; 113y, 310d; Connecticut (tied, 41584 days)

According to her SSDI, Carrie Lazenby died on 4 Sept 1996. Unfortunately, no one has yet been able to locate an obituary or death certificate for her.

Posted by: @futurist

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Posted by: @930310

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It is interesting to note that eight of the top ten are African American or mixed race.

Yep, that's the legendary African-American longevity advantage at extreme ages:

https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/gerontology_theses/10/

It's similar for the US-born men who were born after 1890. The ones who aren't black have extreme difficulty living beyond their 112th birthday. So far, only Walter Breuning managed to do this out of the non-black US-born men who were born after 1890. But there were several black US-born men who were born after 1890 who managed to live past their 112th birthday, though if I recall correctly, none of them actually managed to live to age 113+, though Moses Hardy did come close.

 

Interesting how African-Americans dominate the top ten yet Knauss outlived everyone by two years

Posted by: @mrcatlord

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Posted by: @futurist

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Posted by: @930310

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It is interesting to note that eight of the top ten are African American or mixed race.

Yep, that's the legendary African-American longevity advantage at extreme ages:

https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/gerontology_theses/10/

It's similar for the US-born men who were born after 1890. The ones who aren't black have extreme difficulty living beyond their 112th birthday. So far, only Walter Breuning managed to do this out of the non-black US-born men who were born after 1890. But there were several black US-born men who were born after 1890 who managed to live past their 112th birthday, though if I recall correctly, none of them actually managed to live to age 113+, though Moses Hardy did come close.

 

Interesting how African-Americans dominate the top ten yet Knauss outlived everyone by two years

 

It's a similar story among US-born men who were born after 1890. 114-year-old Walter Breuning is at the very top by a quite significant margin and he is followed by several 112-year-old black men and then by George Feldman, a white man who died on his 112th birthday.

@futurist do you know if there is evidence is for any birthdates (1911 or later) for Francis Zouein?

Posted by: @mrcatlord

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@futurist do you know if there is evidence is for any birthdates (1911 or later) for Francis Zouein?

Unfortunately, I do not. Didn't he move to the US in 1975 or 1980, though? So, early-life evidence would require one to find documents from Lebanon, which should be very difficult, no?

Rose Haddad is a verified Syrian-American SC, but she came here at around the age of ten, so she was able to get verified exclusively with US records.