Texas woman turns 115, making her the oldest living person in the US
FILE - Elizabeth Francis, 115, of Houston, Texas, is now the oldest living person in the United States and the fourth-oldest documented person living in the world. ( (Credit: Ethel Harrison)
A Houston, Texas, woman who turned 115 last month is now the oldest living person in the United States.
"She will tell you it’s by the grace of God," her granddaughter Ethel Harrison, 69, also of Houston, told Fox News Digital.
"That’s how she made it so long. She is very spiritual."
Elizabeth Francis was the second-oldest person in the U.S. until the previous longevity record holder Edie Ceccarelli, 116, of Mendocino County, California, died on Feb. 22.
Francis is also the fourth-oldest living person in the world — according to the Gerontology Research Group (GRT), a Los Angeles-based global social science institution of researchers in gerontology, human longevity, public health and demography.
"Supercentenarians" are folks who have lived more than 110 years. While there are more than 97,000 people in the United States who are classified as centenarians, there are far fewer supercentenarians, according to data from the World Economic Forum, a nonprofit research institute based in Switzerland.
Francis lives at home with her daughter, Dorothy Williams, who is 95.
The two have several caregivers, including Harrison.
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Francis always believed in the loyalty of family and taking care of her own, Harrison said.
FILE - Ben Myers (pictured far right) of LongeviQuest, a global research organization that tracks human longevity, gathers with Elizabeth Francis' family members and presents her award as the oldest living American in the U.S. (Credit: Ethel Harrison
"She was a caregiver herself," Harrison said.
"She actually took care of her dad until he passed at the age of 99. And then she had a sister come live with her. She always said, ‘Treat people like you want to be treated.' That was her motto and we’ve always kind of lived by that."
Ben Meyers is CEO of LongeviQuest, a global research organization that tracks and studies human longevity.
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"There's a lot of interest recently in longevity and also aging," Meyers said.
"How to take care of people, live good, fulfilling lives. There's really no better role model than supercentenarians. They're very interesting — their histories, their philosophies," he added.
"And there are folks who are interested in learning the secrets of longevity … trying to come up with formulas. But the only ones we know who are successful at aging to the maximum degree are supercentenarians. We call them the Olympians of aging. Ms. Francis is a great example."
Meyers visited Francis and her family earlier this year to present her with an award to recognize her as the oldest living American in the U.S.
"One thing that she really is an example of more than almost anybody else I've met is just family and community," he said.
"She lives at home, and she's the oldest person in the world to live at home. It's really pretty extraordinary. Also, the community that she has through her church. So there [are] really active families and communities. It's very difficult for people to reach that age in isolation," Meyers added.
FILE - Francis is now officially the oldest living person in America after her 115th birthday last month. (Credit: Ethel Harrison)
Born in Louisiana on July 25, 1909, Francis has lived through two world wars and now two global pandemics.
She never drove a car, but she worked outside the home, running the coffee shop at a TV station in Houston during the 1970s and 80s.
Francis has three grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.
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Harrison said her grandmother's main focus has always been on her family and her faith.
"If we had a gathering, whether a party or a graduation, she was always there," Harrison said.
FILE - Last year, Francis and her family celebrated her 114th birthday. (Credit: Ethel Harrison)
Francis only attended one church, which she’s still a member of, Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church, which was established in 1872.
"Pastor Cofield and the members still come out to the home," Harrison said.
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"They come to visit and bring communion," Harrison said. "She is still an active member even though she is not able to attend church. We watch on television."
Meyers said the supercentenarians he interviews have a strong sense of faith.
"Ms. Francis gives 100 percent of the credit for her longevity to God," Meyers said.
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FILE - Francis has three grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren — all of whom were at her 114th birthday celebration last year. (Credit: Ethel Harrison)
Another characteristic Francis exemplifies, Meyer said, is "total fortitude."
"Not letting herself get distracted by things that are outside of her control," he said.
"She is really focused on her world. I’ve asked her about the events she lived through and her answers are quite blasé. Every event, good or bad, kind of rolled off her sleeve because she focused on her world day to day."
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Harrison said that although Francis is no longer a big talker, an old hymn definitely catches her grandmother’s attention and she enjoys singing along.
Francis always had a love for gardening and sharing vegetables with others.
"She believed in cooking her own healthy food and working hard — 'Just work hard,' she said. And that’s what we did."
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Francis is one of only 68 people known to have reached the age of 115, and she is among the 25 longest-lived people in American history, according to LongeviQuest.
Last year, when asked what she attributes her long life to, Francis told Fox News Digital, "Just the Lord working with me and keeping me here."