Elizabeth Francis Dies At Age 115

Source: Source: ABC 13 / Source: Source: ABC 13 / Source: ABC 13

Elizabeth Francis, the Houston woman who became the oldest living person in the U.S. earlier this year by hitting the remarkable age of 114 died Oct. 22, according to ABC News. Francis had recently turned the astonishing age of 115 in July. Ethel Harrison, the 69-year-old granddaughter and caregiver of Francis, said the supercentenarian passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Tuesday.

“She loved the Lord. Her faith was extremely strong,” Harrison revealed of Francis who she also noted loved people dearly. “She was always, you know, jolly, you know? ‘How you doing? You’re doing okay? That was just her personality.’” Harrison added, “And she would always say, treat people like you want to be treated. And that was her motto.”

Before her passing, Francis was recognized as the oldest living person in the U.S. According to LongeviQuest rankings, her remarkable age positioned her as the third oldest person globally in March. Her verified age also made her the 54th oldest person to have ever lived and the 21st oldest American in history.

Francis attributed her remarkable longevity to her unwavering faith in God, which she described as the driving force in her life.

“If the good Lord gave it to you, use it! Speak your mind, don’t hold your tongue,” Francis told LongeviQuest in March. She also jokingly mentioned that she indulges in whatever culinary delights her heart desires. On her 112th birthday in 2022, Francis told the News Center Maine that she never smoked and did not drink frequently except for an occasional glass of wine.

What was Elizabeth Francis’ secret to longevity and supercentenarian status?

Remarkably, it was not until nearly reaching the age of 108 that the supercentenarian found herself reliant on a wheelchair for mobility. Harrison previously said that her grandmother’s healthy diet and lifestyle may have played a profound role in helping her reach her hundreds.

“Her life basically was pretty simple,” Harrison told Today. “She didn’t go out to parties and stuff like that. She was more of a homebody. She would go to church.”

During an interview with ABC 13, Harrison also said her grandmother “always grew her vegetables in the backyard.” She added, “I never saw her go to a fast food restaurant as much like Chick-fil-A and all the places I liked to go. She never did that. Whenever you went to her house, I don’t care what day of the week, she was cooking. So, I just think that had a lot to do with it, too. Just how she took care of her body and things like that.”

Born in 1909 in Louisiana, Francis spent the majority of her life in Houston, Texas. Until her passing, she resided in their Houston home with her 95-year-old daughter, Ms. Dorothy Williams.

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