Hester Ford
Hester Ford (nee McCardell; born August 15, 1905) is a supercentenarian and the oldest living American since 2019.
| Hester Ford | |
|---|---|
| Born | Hester McCardell 15 August 1905 (age 119) Lancaster, South Carolina, U.S. |
| 💼 Occupation | |
| Known for | Oldest living American person (since 23 November 2019) |
| 👩 Spouse(s) | John Ford (m. 1921; died 1963) |
| 👶 Children | 12 (4 surviving) |
Biography[edit]
Hester McCardell was born on August 15, 1905 (though sources also indicate the year prior). She grew up on a farm in Lancaster County, South Carolina.[1] On March 12, 1921, she married steel worker John Ford and gave birth to their first child in the next year. They went on to have 12 children and sold their farm in 1953, moving to Charlotte, North Carolina.[2] In Myers Park, Ford worked as a nanny for several families. Her husband passed away in 1963, at age 57. She continues to live in their house and has remained in the Macedonia Baptist Church for more than 70 years. According to reports, Ford has 68 grandchildren, 120 great-grandchildren, and more than 120 great-great-grandchildren.[3]
Health and longevity[edit]
Ford was never hospitalized before 2013 (aged 108), when she took a fall, after which numerous of her descendants joined her in her home. She is still able to walk, talk and feed herself but has suffered from hearing problems and dementia. In 2017, WBTV posted a video of Ford reciting the bible verse Psalm 23 from memory. The post has gained more than 6 million views.[4][5]
Following the death of supercentenarian Alelia Murphy in November 2019, Ford became the oldest living American. In July 2020, she also joined the list of the twenty oldest-living Americans ever and currently holds the eight place on the list of oldest living people in the world. She is also among the seven living people born in 1905, of which only Iris Westman is also American. Her birthdays annually gain a lot of news coverage, with the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners officially declaring September 1 as Hester Ford day in 2020.[6][7][8][9]
References[edit]
- ↑ "Hester Ford of Charlotte now listed as oldest American". Q City Metro. 2019-12-02. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
- ↑ "28 Sep 2014, M2 - The Charlotte Observer at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
- ↑ Grantham-Philips, Wyatte. "Oldest person in the U.S. celebrates 115th (or 116th) birthday". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
- ↑ "Oldest living woman in NC lives in Charlotte, celebrates 112th birthday". www.wbtv.com. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
- ↑ "Hester Ford of Charlotte now listed as oldest American". Q City Metro. 2019-12-02. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
- ↑ Barnett, Andrew. "114-year-old Charlotte, N.C. woman is now oldest living American". Retrieved 2020-12-04. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "N.C.'s Hester Ford Takes Over Title as Oldest Living Woman in the U.S." spectrumlocalnews.com. Retrieved 2020-12-04.
- ↑ kevinmccarthy (2019-08-16). "Hester Ford, possibly the oldest living American, celebrates her 115th birthday". Newsner English. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
- ↑ Staff, WBTV Web. "Sept. 1 declared as Hester Ford Day in Mecklenburg Co. in honor of oldest living American". Retrieved 2020-12-04. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help)
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