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Elizabeth Francis passed away on Tuesday (Oct. 22) a legend. At the time of her death, the 115-year-old was the oldest living person in the United States. ABC News confirmed Francis’ passing on Wednesday after confirmation from Elizabeth’s granddaughter, Ethel Harrison.
Francis was cared for by 69-year-old Ethel when she passed. The granddaughter told ABC that Francis died peacefully while surrounded by her family in Houston, Texas. Harrison also talked to the outlet about the type of person her grandma was: lovable.
“She loved the Lord. Her faith was extremely strong,” Harrison said. “She was always, you know, jolly, you know, ‘How you doing? You’re doing okay?’ That was just her personality,” Ethel said.
Additionally, Ethel said the supercentenarian’s motto was to treat people how they want to be treated. Elizabeth Francis’ death isn’t her first appearance in the media. Last year, she gagged Houston’s KTRK-TV audience while celebrating her 114th birthday when she joked about still being a “little young chicken.”
At the time, her daughter Dorothy Williams said her mother reaching that age was a “blessing.” The 96-year-old said her mother was a wonderful mother and grandmother and the family’s “backbone.”
Elizabeth Francis was born in 1909, back during a time when women typically delivered their babies at home. Not only that, during that time, Black people and women could not vote in the U.S. Now, in just 12 days, VP Kamala Harris, a Black woman, will learn the fate of her campaign for President of the United States.
Last year, Francis also revealed that her secret to a long life was not smoking or drinking. However, she admitted she didn’t limit her diet too much; instead, she ate everything! Her granddaughter said she also cooked often, preferring homemade meals to fast food. Additionally, the 115-year-old reportedly grew her own vegetables and took care of her body, per Harrison.
R.I.P. to Elizabeth Francis
