MINDEN – The state's oldest citizen has died.
Maggie Thornton Renfro died after 8 p.m. Friday night at age 114 at her home. Her death ends a legacy of three centenarian Thornton sisters.
All died within 20 days of each other. Carrie Lee Thornton Miller died Jan. 5 at age 107, and Rosie Lee Thornton Warren died Dec. 18 at age 103.
The sisters made the records books in November when Guinness World Book of Records recognized them as the oldest set of siblings in the world with combined ages of 324 years.
But Renfro's recognition went beyond that. Until her death, in addition to being the oldest person of record in Louisiana, she was the third oldest in the United States and fourth oldest in the world.
Mattie Ellis, Renfro's great-niece and caretaker, said Renfro had grown quieter this week and her nurse believed she had a touch of pneumonia. She was given a breathing treatment Friday night.
Ellis said she had stepped from the room for a few minutes and returned to find Renfro unresponsive. "But she just looked so calm."
Paramedics were called but they determined Renfro already had passed away.
"She told me too many times that she was tired. But I told her she couldn't go until the Lord gets ready for you," Ellis said today. "She said, "When the Lord gets ready for me I'm ready; I'm not scared.'"∼Maggie Mae Renfro née Thornton (November 14, 1895- January 22, 2010)was an American supercentenarian who was, at 114, the third-oldest living person in the United States and the oldest person in Louisiana until her death on January 22, 2010. Renfro was also the fourth-oldest person in the world and the oldest African American person from
the death of Gertrude Baines until her own. Renfro claimed she was born one year earlier, in 1894, which would have made her the oldest person in the world at the time of her death. The United States Census of 1900, however, places her as a four-year-old, making Renfro born in 1895.[1]
She was born in Athens in southern Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, the fourth of eleven children of Wylie and Dellie Thornton. At the age of nineteen, she became a cook for a road crew. Soon afterward, she moved to Madisonville, the seat of Madison County east of Bryan, Texas, and later to Houston, where she met her husband Rudy. The two had no
children, and, following his death in 1971, Renfro moved to Minden, the seat of Webster Parish, near her native Athens, where she lived until her death. She attributed her longevity to being "a good servant for God." "Love everybody; treat everybody right," she once said. She also never drank nor smoked. Renfro enjoyed good health even in advancing age according to her niece and caretaker, Mattie Ellis. "I feel good," Maggie said in December 2007. "Nothing hurts me right now, and I'm not sick."
Maggie had two sisters who lived to be centenarians, Carrie Lee Thornton Miller (April 9, 1902–January 5, 2010), age 107, and Rosie Lee Thornton Warren (January 6, 1906–December 18, 2009), age 103. Rosie and Carrie had died only 18 days apart. On November 8, 2009,
Maggie and her sisters were recognized in a ceremony hosted by Cultural Crossroads at the Minden Civic Center. They had the oldest combined age of three living siblings at 324 years. Like Maggie, Rosie lived in the care of relatives in Minden, while Carrie lived in an extensive care hospital in Shreveport.
Only 17 days after the death of her sister Carrie, Maggie Renfro died at the age of 114 years on January 22, 2010.
Above from Wikipedia
Obituary will be added as soon as arrangements are made.
Maggie Thornton Renfro died after 8 p.m. Friday night at age 114 at her home. Her death ends a legacy of three centenarian Thornton sisters.
All died within 20 days of each other. Carrie Lee Thornton Miller died Jan. 5 at age 107, and Rosie Lee Thornton Warren died Dec. 18 at age 103.
The sisters made the records books in November when Guinness World Book of Records recognized them as the oldest set of siblings in the world with combined ages of 324 years.
But Renfro's recognition went beyond that. Until her death, in addition to being the oldest person of record in Louisiana, she was the third oldest in the United States and fourth oldest in the world.
Mattie Ellis, Renfro's great-niece and caretaker, said Renfro had grown quieter this week and her nurse believed she had a touch of pneumonia. She was given a breathing treatment Friday night.
Ellis said she had stepped from the room for a few minutes and returned to find Renfro unresponsive. "But she just looked so calm."
Paramedics were called but they determined Renfro already had passed away.
"She told me too many times that she was tired. But I told her she couldn't go until the Lord gets ready for you," Ellis said today. "She said, "When the Lord gets ready for me I'm ready; I'm not scared.'"∼Maggie Mae Renfro née Thornton (November 14, 1895- January 22, 2010)was an American supercentenarian who was, at 114, the third-oldest living person in the United States and the oldest person in Louisiana until her death on January 22, 2010. Renfro was also the fourth-oldest person in the world and the oldest African American person from
the death of Gertrude Baines until her own. Renfro claimed she was born one year earlier, in 1894, which would have made her the oldest person in the world at the time of her death. The United States Census of 1900, however, places her as a four-year-old, making Renfro born in 1895.[1]
She was born in Athens in southern Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, the fourth of eleven children of Wylie and Dellie Thornton. At the age of nineteen, she became a cook for a road crew. Soon afterward, she moved to Madisonville, the seat of Madison County east of Bryan, Texas, and later to Houston, where she met her husband Rudy. The two had no
children, and, following his death in 1971, Renfro moved to Minden, the seat of Webster Parish, near her native Athens, where she lived until her death. She attributed her longevity to being "a good servant for God." "Love everybody; treat everybody right," she once said. She also never drank nor smoked. Renfro enjoyed good health even in advancing age according to her niece and caretaker, Mattie Ellis. "I feel good," Maggie said in December 2007. "Nothing hurts me right now, and I'm not sick."
Maggie had two sisters who lived to be centenarians, Carrie Lee Thornton Miller (April 9, 1902–January 5, 2010), age 107, and Rosie Lee Thornton Warren (January 6, 1906–December 18, 2009), age 103. Rosie and Carrie had died only 18 days apart. On November 8, 2009,
Maggie and her sisters were recognized in a ceremony hosted by Cultural Crossroads at the Minden Civic Center. They had the oldest combined age of three living siblings at 324 years. Like Maggie, Rosie lived in the care of relatives in Minden, while Carrie lived in an extensive care hospital in Shreveport.
Only 17 days after the death of her sister Carrie, Maggie Renfro died at the age of 114 years on January 22, 2010.
Above from Wikipedia
Obituary will be added as soon as arrangements are made.
MINDEN – The state's oldest citizen has died.
Maggie Thornton Renfro died after 8 p.m. Friday night at age 114 at her home. Her death ends a legacy of three centenarian Thornton sisters.
All died within 20 days of each other. Carrie Lee Thornton Miller died Jan. 5 at age 107, and Rosie Lee Thornton Warren died Dec. 18 at age 103.
The sisters made the records books in November when Guinness World Book of Records recognized them as the oldest set of siblings in the world with combined ages of 324 years.
But Renfro's recognition went beyond that. Until her death, in addition to being the oldest person of record in Louisiana, she was the third oldest in the United States and fourth oldest in the world.
Mattie Ellis, Renfro's great-niece and caretaker, said Renfro had grown quieter this week and her nurse believed she had a touch of pneumonia. She was given a breathing treatment Friday night.
Ellis said she had stepped from the room for a few minutes and returned to find Renfro unresponsive. "But she just looked so calm."
Paramedics were called but they determined Renfro already had passed away.
"She told me too many times that she was tired. But I told her she couldn't go until the Lord gets ready for you," Ellis said today. "She said, "When the Lord gets ready for me I'm ready; I'm not scared.'"∼Maggie Mae Renfro née Thornton (November 14, 1895- January 22, 2010)was an American supercentenarian who was, at 114, the third-oldest living person in the United States and the oldest person in Louisiana until her death on January 22, 2010. Renfro was also the fourth-oldest person in the world and the oldest African American person from
the death of Gertrude Baines until her own. Renfro claimed she was born one year earlier, in 1894, which would have made her the oldest person in the world at the time of her death. The United States Census of 1900, however, places her as a four-year-old, making Renfro born in 1895.[1]
She was born in Athens in southern Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, the fourth of eleven children of Wylie and Dellie Thornton. At the age of nineteen, she became a cook for a road crew. Soon afterward, she moved to Madisonville, the seat of Madison County east of Bryan, Texas, and later to Houston, where she met her husband Rudy. The two had no
children, and, following his death in 1971, Renfro moved to Minden, the seat of Webster Parish, near her native Athens, where she lived until her death. She attributed her longevity to being "a good servant for God." "Love everybody; treat everybody right," she once said. She also never drank nor smoked. Renfro enjoyed good health even in advancing age according to her niece and caretaker, Mattie Ellis. "I feel good," Maggie said in December 2007. "Nothing hurts me right now, and I'm not sick."
Maggie had two sisters who lived to be centenarians, Carrie Lee Thornton Miller (April 9, 1902–January 5, 2010), age 107, and Rosie Lee Thornton Warren (January 6, 1906–December 18, 2009), age 103. Rosie and Carrie had died only 18 days apart. On November 8, 2009,
Maggie and her sisters were recognized in a ceremony hosted by Cultural Crossroads at the Minden Civic Center. They had the oldest combined age of three living siblings at 324 years. Like Maggie, Rosie lived in the care of relatives in Minden, while Carrie lived in an extensive care hospital in Shreveport.
Only 17 days after the death of her sister Carrie, Maggie Renfro died at the age of 114 years on January 22, 2010.
Above from Wikipedia
Obituary will be added as soon as arrangements are made.
Maggie Thornton Renfro died after 8 p.m. Friday night at age 114 at her home. Her death ends a legacy of three centenarian Thornton sisters.
All died within 20 days of each other. Carrie Lee Thornton Miller died Jan. 5 at age 107, and Rosie Lee Thornton Warren died Dec. 18 at age 103.
The sisters made the records books in November when Guinness World Book of Records recognized them as the oldest set of siblings in the world with combined ages of 324 years.
But Renfro's recognition went beyond that. Until her death, in addition to being the oldest person of record in Louisiana, she was the third oldest in the United States and fourth oldest in the world.
Mattie Ellis, Renfro's great-niece and caretaker, said Renfro had grown quieter this week and her nurse believed she had a touch of pneumonia. She was given a breathing treatment Friday night.
Ellis said she had stepped from the room for a few minutes and returned to find Renfro unresponsive. "But she just looked so calm."
Paramedics were called but they determined Renfro already had passed away.
"She told me too many times that she was tired. But I told her she couldn't go until the Lord gets ready for you," Ellis said today. "She said, "When the Lord gets ready for me I'm ready; I'm not scared.'"∼Maggie Mae Renfro née Thornton (November 14, 1895- January 22, 2010)was an American supercentenarian who was, at 114, the third-oldest living person in the United States and the oldest person in Louisiana until her death on January 22, 2010. Renfro was also the fourth-oldest person in the world and the oldest African American person from
the death of Gertrude Baines until her own. Renfro claimed she was born one year earlier, in 1894, which would have made her the oldest person in the world at the time of her death. The United States Census of 1900, however, places her as a four-year-old, making Renfro born in 1895.[1]
She was born in Athens in southern Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, the fourth of eleven children of Wylie and Dellie Thornton. At the age of nineteen, she became a cook for a road crew. Soon afterward, she moved to Madisonville, the seat of Madison County east of Bryan, Texas, and later to Houston, where she met her husband Rudy. The two had no
children, and, following his death in 1971, Renfro moved to Minden, the seat of Webster Parish, near her native Athens, where she lived until her death. She attributed her longevity to being "a good servant for God." "Love everybody; treat everybody right," she once said. She also never drank nor smoked. Renfro enjoyed good health even in advancing age according to her niece and caretaker, Mattie Ellis. "I feel good," Maggie said in December 2007. "Nothing hurts me right now, and I'm not sick."
Maggie had two sisters who lived to be centenarians, Carrie Lee Thornton Miller (April 9, 1902–January 5, 2010), age 107, and Rosie Lee Thornton Warren (January 6, 1906–December 18, 2009), age 103. Rosie and Carrie had died only 18 days apart. On November 8, 2009,
Maggie and her sisters were recognized in a ceremony hosted by Cultural Crossroads at the Minden Civic Center. They had the oldest combined age of three living siblings at 324 years. Like Maggie, Rosie lived in the care of relatives in Minden, while Carrie lived in an extensive care hospital in Shreveport.
Only 17 days after the death of her sister Carrie, Maggie Renfro died at the age of 114 years on January 22, 2010.
Above from Wikipedia
Obituary will be added as soon as arrangements are made.
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