Elizabeth Francis, the oldest living person in the United States, passed away Tuesday at the age of 115.
Francis, was also the third older person in the world, according to LongeviQuest, a database on the world’s oldest people.
Elizabeth Francis, the oldest living person in the United States, has died at the age of 115. pic.twitter.com/14NgHnE8YI
— Pop Base (@PopBase) October 24, 2024
Francis died peacefully at her home in Houston, TX according to a statement from her family.
Born on July 25, 1909 in Louisiana, Francis lived through 20 US Presidents, with her first being former President William Howard Taft.
While a Louisiana native, Francis lived in Houston for most of her long life where she lived with her 95-year-old daughter, Dorothy Williams, and her granddaughter, Ethel Harrison.
Francis first moved to Houston after her mother died when she was 11, and she and her five siblings were sent to different homes. She was raised by her aunt and has lived there since.
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.
Ben Meyers, the CEO of LongeviQuest, said that Francis was sustained by her family and her community.
“One thing that she really is an example of more than almost anybody else I’ve met is just family and community,” he said.
Francis attended the same church for years and was an active member.
“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.
Francis is survived by her family, including here three grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.