Edna Kern
- Full name: Edna Gertrude Kern
- Lifespan: (14.10.1900 – 20.01.2016)
- Age: 115 years, 98 days
- Birthplace: San Francisco, San Francisco County, California, USA
- Last residence: Reno, Washoe County, Nevada, USA
- Validation date: 13.09.2023
- Validation source: Oliver Trim/Ammann family/Waclaw Jan Kroczek
Biography
Edna Gertrude Ammann was born on October 14 1900 (claimed 1902,1903,1904) in San Francisco, California, USA. The family bought land in Sonoma in 1905, before moving there in 1906 following the San Francisco earthquake. She was the eldest of three siblings – Henry John, born 1902, and Margurite, born 1905 (claimed 1906). Her parents were immigrants from Switzerland – John and Elise Ammann. John moved to the US in 1882 and Elise moved there in 1891. They married in 1898.
In 1926 Edna married her first husband, Frederick Terrill Strickland. Fred died in 1933. Edna then married her second husband, Reuben Kern, at some point between 1951 and 1960 – Reuben’s first wife died in 1951. Reuben died in 1972. Edna had no children of her own, but had some step-children from her second marriage.
By 2007 she had moved to Reno, Nevada, where she later died on January 20 2016, aged 115 years, 98 days. Family contacts have said that Edna did not like to discuss her age. Records show Edna started understating her age in her 20’s – it would appear her sister also understated her age.
Validation
The case of Edna Kern was verified by Oliver Trim, the Ammann family, and Dr. Waclaw Jan Kroczek, then validated by the Gerontology Research Group on September 13 2023.
Recognition
Edna Kern was:
- the last surviving American person born in 1900.
- the oldest person in the USA born in 1900.
- the second-oldest living person in the USA behind Susannah Mushatt Jones (1899-2016).
- the longevity recordholder for the state of Nevada.
- one of only 25 people in the USA who eclipsed the lifespan of 115 years.
- the 5th oldest validated living person as of Jan. 1, 2016, behind Susannah Mushatt Jones of the USA, Emma Morano of Italy, Violet Brown of Jamaica, and Nabi Tajima of Japan.
Edna Kern with her siblings in their family home around 1910.
Edna Kern as a young woman.
Edna Kern as centenarian.
Edna Kern on her 112th birthday.
Edna Kern as supercentenarian.