Emma Verona Johnston
Encyclopedia
Emma Verona Johnston née Calhoun (August 6, 1890 – December 1, 2004) was an American
supercentenarian
recognized as the "oldest living American" from May 2004 until her death at age 114 years 117 days. Verona was born in Indianola, Iowa
as one of a large family. She was the oldest living graduate of Drake University
, where she was a member of the Class of 1912.
At age 98, she moved from Iowa
to Ohio
in order to live with her daughter and son-in-law. She continued to be in good health even when she attained supercentenarian status, able to walk up steps and alert and able to engage in conversations.
By March 2004, she became the fifth-oldest documented person in the world and second-oldest documented in the United States, but still not the oldest person
in the state of Ohio, since that state was also home to Charlotte Benkner
.
Benkner's death in May 2004 left Johnston the oldest documented person in the United States, and that of Puerto Rican
Ramona Trinidad Iglesias-Jordan
later that month left her third-oldest recognized person in the world. She died in Worthington, Ohio
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
supercentenarian
Supercentenarian
A supercentenarian is someone who has reached the age of 110 years. This age is achieved by about one in a thousand centenarians....
recognized as the "oldest living American" from May 2004 until her death at age 114 years 117 days. Verona was born in Indianola, Iowa
Indianola, Iowa
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,998 people, 4,748 households, and 3,261 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,414.7 people per square mile . There were 4,981 housing units at an average density of 542.1 per square mile...
as one of a large family. She was the oldest living graduate of Drake University
Drake University
Drake University is a private, co-educational university located in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. The institution offers a number of undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and pharmacy. Today, Drake is one of the twenty-five oldest law schools in the country....
, where she was a member of the Class of 1912.
At age 98, she moved from Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
to Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
in order to live with her daughter and son-in-law. She continued to be in good health even when she attained supercentenarian status, able to walk up steps and alert and able to engage in conversations.
By March 2004, she became the fifth-oldest documented person in the world and second-oldest documented in the United States, but still not the oldest person
Oldest people
This is a list of tables of the verified oldest people in the world in ordinal rank, such as oldest person or oldest man. In these tables, a supercentenarian is considered 'verified' if his or her claim has been validated by an international body that specifically deals in longevity research, such...
in the state of Ohio, since that state was also home to Charlotte Benkner
Charlotte Benkner
Charlotte Benkner née Enterlein was an American supercentenarian and the oldest verified living person from November 2003 until sufficient documentation was found to validate the age of Ramona Trinidad Iglesias-Jordan of Puerto Rico in March 2004...
.
Benkner's death in May 2004 left Johnston the oldest documented person in the United States, and that of Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
Ramona Trinidad Iglesias-Jordan
Ramona Trinidad Iglesias-Jordan
Ramona Trinidad Iglesias-Jordan de Soler was a Puerto Rican supercentenarian, and, according to documents compiled in March 2004, the oldest documented person in the world after the death of Japanese woman Mitoyo Kawate, although German American woman Charlotte Benkner, who was about 3½ months...
later that month left her third-oldest recognized person in the world. She died in Worthington, Ohio
Worthington, Ohio
-Dissolution of the Company:By August 11, 1804 the plat maps were completed, payments or notes promising payments collected and deeds prepared for all sixteen thousand acres of the Scioto Company's purchase...
.
External links
- Obituary from the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
- Verona Johnston by Drake University