Pennsylvania woman, 114, becomes oldest living person in North America

A 114-year-old woman residing in Pennsylvania who says she never smoked or drank alcohol recently became the oldest known living person in North America.

Naomi Whitehead attained that status after the 22 October death of Elizabeth Francis, 115, a Louisiana native who moved to Houston and was the world’s third-oldest person, according to the LongeviQuest website, an authority on supercentenarians – those who are 110 or older.

Two pieces of advice attributed to Francis and widely circulated after her last birthday in July were “if the Lord gave it to you, use it” and “speak your mind, don’t bite your tongue.”

For her part, besides abstaining from smoking and imbibing, Whitehead has credited her longevity to good genes; her father lived to his 90s. She also suggested to LongeviQuest that cooking, baking, drawing, listening to music and other hobbies have all helped her become the world’s seventh-oldest known living person as of Tuesday.

Whitehead told Pennsylvania’s New Caste News for her 113th birthday that she was born in Georgia on 26 September 1910 on a farm where she later helped relatives pick cotton and reap tobacco. She was a toddler when the Titanic sank, nine when women gained the right to vote in the US and had raised a family with her husband before the US civil rights movement.

Along with others her age, she survived two world wars and a pair of the deadliest pandemics: the 1918 flu outbreak and Covid-19.

Enduring loss has been one of the realities to accompany Whitehead’s long life, as the New Castle News noted. Whitehead outlived a dozen siblings, her husband Sylvester and their three boys.

She reportedly told the outlet she never considered remarrying after being widowed.

“I said if I loved him, I would never get married again,” said Whitehead, described as a resident of a senior living community in Greenville, Pennsylvania.

In statements, LongeviQuest expressed condolences to Francis’s family while extending “warmest congratulations to Mrs Whitehead on achieving her new title”.

“Her astonishing life story and exceptional longevity continue to inspire individuals across the globe,” the organization said.