In 1885
Photo Gallery for Supercentenarians born in the year 1885, as of December 20, 2019.
Yasu Akino, 113
July 14, 2002; Bart Versieck of Belgium has sent us (by way of Robert Young of Atlanta, GA) this photo of
January 2, 2017; Another photo of Yasu Akino.
Yasu Akino who was born in Japan on March 1, 1885 and died on February 12, 1999 at the age of 113 years, 348 days just 17 days shy of her 114th birthday. Yasu was the oldest person in Japan from November 18, 1998 until her death on February 12, 1999. She spent the last years of her life bedridden after she suffered a fall.
Mary Arp, 112
Aged 107:
July 26, 2017; Mary Arp was born in Iowa, United States on July 4, 1885 and died in South Dakota, United States on January 18, 1998 at the age of 112 years, 198 days.
Kathryn Bassich, 111
On her 110th birthday:
July 25, 2017; Kathryn Bassich was born in New York, United States on July 26, 1885 and died in the same state on July 6, 1997 at the age of 111 years, 345 days.
Rufus Clansy, 110
Photo sourced from ancestry.com.
December 20, 2019; Rufus Clansy was born in Alabama, United States on March 27, 1885 and died in the same state on August 17, 1995 at the age of 110 years, 143 days.
Ada Cleggett, 110
On her 100th birthday:
Photo sourced from WordPress.
December 28, 2018; Ada Cleggett was born in South Australia, Australia on January 27, 1885 and died in the same state on December 8, 1995 at the age of 110 years, 315 days.
Anna Cone, 110
Aged 1 with her mother:
Aged 16:
Aged 102:
Undated photo:
Aged 110:
January 2, 2016; Anna Cone was born in Kentucky, United States on September 20, 1885 and died in California, United States on May 3, 1996 at the age of 110 years, 226 days.
Elisa Cubells, 110
January 26, 2016; Elisa Cubells was born in Catalonia, Spain on August 20, 1885 and died in France on November 16, 1995 at the age of 110 years, 88 days.
Minnie Davenport, 110
On the far right, with her sisters and grandmother:
1907 graduation picture:
Undated later photo:
January 28, 2016; Minnie Davenport was born in Georgia, United States on March 21, 1885 and died in the same state on January 19, 1996 at the age of 110 years, 304 days.
Elsie Day, 110
Photo sourced from ancestry.
June 9, 2019; Elsie Day was born in Shropshire, England, United Kingdom on December 16, 1885 and died in Wrekin, England, United Kingdom on September 26, 1996 at the age of 110 years, 285 days.
Bernard Delhom, 110
April 17, 2016; Bernard Delhom was born in Pyrenees-Atlantiques, France on July 9, 1885 and died in Paris, France on February 7, 1996 at the age of 110 years, 213 days. On December 29, 1995, he became the oldest living man in France and Europe, following the death of Emile Fourcade. He was the last French survivor of the battle of Verdun, and retired as an officer of the Gendarmeria in 1943.
Anneke (Johanna) van Dommelen-Hamer, 110
Undated photo:
On her 110th birthday:
May 21, 2015; Anneke (Johanna) van Dommelen-Hamer was born in Gelderland, the Netherlands on October 20, 1885 and passed away in the same province on May 7, 1996 at the age of 110 years, 200 days. At the time of her death, she was the oldest living person in the Netherlands.
Myrtle Dorsey, 114
Undated photo:
Aged 109:
Aged 113:
Aged 114:
May 21, 2015; Myrtle Dorsey was born in Putnam County, Ohio, United States on November 22, 1885 and passed away in the same state on June 25, 2000 at the age of 114 years, 216 days. At the time of her death, she was the second oldest person in the world. She remains the oldest person ever from Ohio.
Born as Myrtle Burkmier, she married Homer Dorsey in 1917 and had one daughter.
Bertha Flathers, 112
On the far left:
Picture sourced from ancestry.com.
May 3, 2018; Bertha Flathers was born in Minnesota, United States on March 30, 1885 and died in the same state on November 21, 1997 at the age of 112 years, 236 days.
Ada Freeman, 110
Aged 23:
Photo sourced from Pikes Peak Nugget.
October 16, 2017; Ada Freeman was born in Texas, United States on December 28, 1885 and died in Colorado, United States on May 28, 1996 at the age of 110 years, 152 days.
Mabel Greenwald, 110
Aged 108:
February 3, 2016; Mabel Greenwald was born in Ohio, United States on February 7, 1885 and died in Texas, United States on December 30, 1995 at the age of 110 years, 326 days.
Shizue Hasegawa, 112
Photo sourced from Japanese Oldest People forum.
January 6, 2018; Shizue Hasegawa was born in Japan on January 27, 1885 and died in Hiroshima, Japan on July 31, 1997 at the age of 112 years, 185 days.
Take Hayasaka, 113
Aged 100:
December 30, 2016; Take Hayasaka was born in Japan on July 1, 1885 and died in Niigata, Japan on July 23, 1998 at the age of 113 years, 22 days.
Mary Heitzig, 111
Aged 100:
Aged 111:
February 2, 2016; Mary Heitzig was born in Beltress, Jersey County, Illinois, United States on April 13, 1885 and died in the same state on December 30, 1996 at the age of 111 years, 261 days.
Born as Mary Schmieder, she married Joseph Heitzig in 1908 and had 11 children. Her husband died in 1957. She once went on a six-country tour of Europe and also visited Canada, New York and Washington. For many years an active member of a local quilting club, Heitzig also attended church on a daily basis until well into her centenarian years. When asked for the secrets to her longevity, she said simply “rest and prayers.”
Cornelia Hendrikse-Maas, 110
May 21, 2015; Cornelia Hendrikse-Maas was born in Zeeland, the Netherlands on December 2, 1885 and passed away in North Brabant, the Netherlands on July 15, 1996 at the age of 110 years, 226 days. At the time of her death, she was the oldest living person in the Netherlands.
Estella Kingsbury, 110
Aged 25, with her husband and children:
As an older woman:
January 26, 2016; Estella Kingsbury was born in Iowa, United States on March 28, 1885 and died in the same state on February 20, 1996 at the age of 110 years, 329 days.
Karolina Kruger, 111
Karolina Kruger (alternative spelling Krueger) was born in Zurlauben, Germany on February 17, 1885 and died in Munster, Germany on July 3, 1996 at the age of 111 years, 137 days. At the time of her death, she was the oldest verified living person in Germany.
Adelia Mead, 110
May 21, 2015; Adelia Mead was born in New York, United States on February 14, 1885 and passed away in Nebraska, United States on November 10, 1995 at the age of 110 years, 269 days.
Eva Morris, 114
August 16, 2001; Robert Young of Atlanta, Georgia located a photo of
Eva (Sharpe) Morris (with care-assistant Ms. Debbie Cummings).
Another photo from the same event:
During her reign, she was the world’s oldest person for a longer time than Marie Bremont was.
November 2, 2000; Dag T. Hoelseth reported that Eva Morris, the oldest living woman in the United Kingdom, died last night in her sleep, six days before she was to turn 115. She passed away at a home for elderly in Staffordshire, England. See her photo above. Therefore, Morris [November 8, 1885 – November 2, 2000] winds up third on the “all-time” British list.
Born as Eva Sharpe, Morris worked for some time as a domestic servant. She married Joseph Morris and had her only child in 1914. After being widowed in the 1930s, she lived in her own flat until the age of 107, before moving into a nursing home after suffering a chest infection. Morris attributed her longevity to a daily tot of Bell’s whisky and boiled onions. She also enjoyed an occasional cigarette and riding a bike. Morris outlived her only child by 25 years.
Anna Mueller, 110
On the right, as a young girl:
Again as a young girl, furthest left on the front row:
January 10, 2016; Anna Mueller was born in lllinois, United States on August 27, 1885 and died in Iowa, United States on December 10, 1995 at the age of 110 years, 105 days.
Susie Nelson, 111
Aged 111:
July 30, 2017; Susie Nelson was born in Missouri, United States on November 12, 1885 and died in the same state on October 18, 1997 at the age of 111 years, 340 days.
Claire O’Rourke, 111
Soon to be 94 (early January 1979):
100th birthday:
103rd birthday:
106th birthday:
Shortly before her 109th birthday:
Photos sourced from Feather River Bulletin newspaper.
March 1, 2017; Claire O’Rourke was born in California, United States on January 23, 1885 and died in the same state on June 26, 1996 at the age of 111 years, 155 days.
Bertha Pautz, 110
January 10, 2016; Bertha Pautz was born in lllinois, United States on December 20, 1885 and died in Kansas, United States on October 16, 1996 at the age of 110 years, 301 days.
Anna Poirier, 110
On her 110th birthday:
Photo sourced from Le Soleil.
May 13, 2019; Anna Poirier was born in Quebec, Canada on November 10, 1885 and died in the same province on January 28, 1996 at the age of 110 years, 79 days.
Clarina Ragland, 111
Aged 100:
Photo courtesy of The Morning Call newspaper.
October 13, 2016; Clarina Ragland was born in North Carolina, United States on June 28, 1885 and died in Pennsylvania, United States on February 18, 1997 at the age of 111 years, 235 days.
Walter Richardson, 113
Aged 89:
On his 100th birthday:
Aged 104:
Aged 106:
Aged 108:
Just before his 109th birthday:
On his 111th birthday:
On his 112th birthday:
Photos sourced from Morning Star and Register Star.
May 17, 2019; Walter Richardson was born in Huron, South Dakota, United States on November 7, 1885 and died in Illinois, United States on December 25, 1998 at the age of 113 years, 48 days. He became the oldest man in the United States and the world following the death of Johnson Parks on July 17, 1998.
At age 12, Richardson drove a team of horses behind a plough. In the early 1900s, he helped his father on the family farm. Soon realising that farming wasn’t for him, Richardson got a job as a teacher at a country school. He learned to drive in 1912 and bought his first car a couple of years later. Richardson married Ida Speeckeen on September 2, 1913. The couple had no children. In 1915, he witnessed the capsizing of the excursion boat Eastland, in which 815 perished. Richardson enlisted in World War I after United States entered the war in 1917.
After the war, he worked for a wholesale goods company in Chicago, the International Consumer Coal Co. in Rockford, Ogle County government in Oregon and for the state as a sales tax investigator. In October 1942, Richardson began a banking career with the Holcomb Bank in Chicago. When he retired at the age of 89 in 1975, Richardson was vice president. He remained an active non-executive member of the board of directors until the age of 100. His wife passed away in 1980, aged 92. Richardson enjoyed gardening and continued to drive until May 1987, when he was 101. On his 100th birthday, he danced the waltz with four different ladies. On December 31, 1985, Richardson fell and broke his hip, which required several months of hospitalisation.
At the age of 104, a former colleague said “He really is remarkable. His mind is still sharp as a tack.” At the age of 106, Richardson said he kept himself busy “keeping up with current events, chatting with friends and watching baseball and football on television.” A December 1993 article stated “Richardson, who is now 108… talks with the clarity and memory of someone half his age.” On the occasion of his 112th birthday, he was reported to be in good physical and mental health. When asked for the secret to his longevity, Richardson said “Don’t drink. Don’t smoke. And don’t burn the candle at both ends… I always exercised a lot, doing a lot of walking on the farm. When I moved to the city, I walked in preference to taking the street car or city bus. I think that contributed to my longevity.”
Sarah Saggs, 111
December 29, 2015; Sarah Saggs was born in Kansas, United States on October 17, 1885 and died in the same state on February 15, 1997 at the age of 111 years, 121 days.
Minnie Satchell, 110
In the navy blue top.
Photo sourced from Ancestry.
March 4, 2019; Minnie Satchell was born in Arkansas, United States on June 12, 1885 and died in Oklahoma, United States on August 1, 1995 at the age of 110 years, 50 days.
Minnie Ward, 114
As a young woman:
Aged 112:
March 5, 2017; Minnie Ward was born in Brownsville, Tennessee, United States on November 19, 1885 and died in Boston, Massachusetts, United States on December 2, 1999 at the age of 114 years, 13 days. At the time of her death, she was the oldest person ever born in Tennessee and the oldest person ever to live in Massachusetts. These records were broken by Elizabeth Bolden in 2004 and Bernice Madigan in 2013, respectively.
One of 22 children, born as Minnie Bell Smith, she attended Roger Williams College in Nashville and Spellman College in Atlanta during the early 1900s. She then married Cassius Ward in 1911 and raised five children in Boston, Massachusetts. Ward taught English, History and dressmaking for many years. She was widowed in 1937. At the age of 112, she had no health problems other than a bad back, and was described as “moving with grace”.