Elizabeth Francis of Houston, the oldest person in the United States, died on Tuesday at the age of 115.
Francis was the third oldest person in the world when she died, according to LongeviQuest, a database of the world’s oldest people. Her validated age made her the 54th oldest individual in history and the 21st oldest American ever.
She had spent most of her life in Houston, where she lived with her 95-year-old daughter, Dorothy Williams. LongeviQuest reports that Francis’ principal caretaker at her death was her granddaughter, Ethel Harrison. “Ms. Elizabeth was a Houstonian icon and a cherished community member,” according to the database’s press release.
Francis was born in Louisiana in 1909 and has witnessed many significant historical events, including two World Wars, segregation, and a global epidemic. She had a sister who lived to the age of 106 before she died in 2011, according to LongeviQuest.
“Mrs. Elizabeth Francis was America’s grandmother. She led a life of faith and love, often thanking the Good Lord for her longevity. “Her family and community loved her,” said LongeviQuest spokeswoman Ben Meyers. “They are in our requests, especially her daughter Ms. Dorothy Williams, whom she lived with till the end, and her granddaughter Ms. Ethel Harrison, whose happy commitment made it feasible for her grandmother to live at home even at age 115.” “May Ms. Francis Rest in Peace; she will never be forgotten,” Meyers said.
