By Ryan Shepard
The oldest living person in America,
Hester Ford, has passed away. Depending on which census report is referenced, Ford was lived to be either 115 or 116 years old. Amazingly, Ford managed to live on her own and without assistance until she was 108 years old. Unfortunately, she injured herself getting out of the bathtub a few years ago. From then on, she lived with members of her family.
She was raised in Lancaster County, South Carolina before marrying
John Ford and moving to Charlotte, North Carolina. Together, the couple had 12 children. Her children gave her 68 grandchildren, 125 great-grandchildren and 120 great-great-grandchildren.
The supercentenarian died on Tuesday, March 2, according to longtime friend Sharon Miller.
Goodwill was a resident of Advantage Living Center in Battle Creek and was Michigan s oldest resident and the third oldest person living in the United States, as verified by the Gerontology Research Group. She s been a lady of grace, knowledge, and has been a blessing to all, Miller said. Normally people don t live past 100, and God had her here for a reason.
Researchers estimate that one in every 8 million people in the U.S. live to become a supercentenarian. The current average life expectancy in the U.S. is 78.6 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The year Goodwill was born, the life expectancy of women in the U.S. was 49.9 years, according to the Berkeley Department of Demography.
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