| Bessie Hendricks | |
 Hendricks on her 110th birthday in 2017, holding a photo of her wedding day in 1930 | |
| Birth: | 7 November 1907 Carroll County, Iowa, USA |
| Death: | 3 January 2023 Lake City, Iowa, USA |
| Age: | 115 years, 57 days |
| Country: |  USA
|
| Validated | |
Bessie Laurena Hendricks (née Sharkey; 7 November 1907 – 3 January 2023) was an American supercentenarian who was the oldest known living person in the United States at the time of her death whose age is validated by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG). However, she was not the oldest known living American-born person as Maria Branyas Morera of Spain was older. Hendricks also ranked as the fourth-oldest validated living person in the world at the time of her death (after Lucile Randon, Branyas Morera, and Fusa Tatsumi).
Biography
Early Life and Family
Bessie Hendricks was born as Bessie Laurena Sharkey to Hugh, an immigrant from Ireland, and Mattie (Clark) Sharkey, on a farm in Carroll County, a few miles southeast of Auburn, Iowa, on 7 November 1907. She was the second youngest of 5 children, her siblings being John, David, Laurence, and Ethel. A younger sister, Anna, was born in 1910 after the family had moved in 1908 to a 160-acre farm two miles east and one mile north of Lake City in Calhoun County.
At the age of five, Hendricks began attending first grade – there was no kindergarten – at the country school across the road from the family's farm. When she wasn't in school, she helped with chores at home. By the time Hendricks entered seventh grade, the local country school was closed due to the lack of pupils, so she attended Central School in Lake City. A more profound life change would occur, however, when Hendricks' mother died from an illness on 2 July 1921. Thereafter, 13-year-old Bessie Hendricks had to assume many more household responsibilities. She continued her education, however, and graduated from Lake City High School in May 1926. During her high school years, Hendricks completed a normal training course that allowed her to teach country school following her graduation. Starting in the fall of 1926, she taught country school in the Lake City area for four years.
Just before she started her last year of teaching, Hendricks attended a dance in Lohrville one evening with a friend named Art Hendricks, who had an older brother named Paul. After Paul and Bessie married on 27 June 1930, at the Woodlawn Christian Church, the couple lived in Rands for nearly three years. Paul Hendricks (30 November 1904 – 25 May 1995) worked at the grain elevator and depot, in addition to running a small store. The couple's and had three children: Shirley Ann Hendricks (23 March 1931 – 22 September 2021)[1], Joan Lois Hendricks (6 November 1932 – 14 December 2023) and Roland Paul Hendricks (20 October 1934 – 30 September 2011), were born during this time. In 1933, the family moved to a farm east of Lake City that would be the Hendricks' home place for the next 47 years. The family expanded to include Roland (Ron), Glenda, and Leon.
Later Life and Death
After Paul and Bessie Hendricks retired and held their farm sale in 1979, they moved to a home in Lake City in July 1980. The couple were one month shy of celebrating their 65th anniversary when Paul Hendricks died on 25 May 1995.
In her later years, Hendricks stayed busy by helping her family with various projects, including processing 500 chickens one summer. She was also active in the Woodlawn Christian Church, where she had been a member for over 90 years.
In the summer of 2016, a little over 90 years after graduating from Lake City High School, Hendricks attended the all-school reunion in Lake City.
Reportedly, Bessie Hendricks was comfortable with her life at Shady Oaks, where her family visited often. She had nine grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren, 42 great-great-grandchildren, and seven great-great-great-grandchildren. With no major illnesses and only a couple prescription medicines in Hendricks’ daily routine, her physician, Dr. Derek Duncan, of Lake City, called her his "miracle lady." She died on 3 January 2023, at the age of 115 years, 57 days, shortly after testing positive for COVID-19.
Longevity Records
Hendricks became the oldest validated person living in the United States, following the death of Thelma Sutcliffe on 17 January 2022.
Following the death of Mila Mangold on 2 July 2022, Hendricks became the last surviving validated person in the United States born in 1907, and one of only two validated American-born people remaining born in 1907 (the other being Maria Branyas Morera).
On 12 July 2022, at the age of 114 years, 247 days, Hendricks surpassed the final age of Neva Morris to become the oldest validated person ever born in the state of Iowa, and the second-oldest validated person to ever reside there, after Dina Manfredini.
Following the death of Sofia Rojas of Colombia on 30 July 2022, Hendricks became the oldest validated living person residing in the Americas.
Following the death of Tekla Juniewicz of Poland on 19 August 2022, Hendricks became the fourth-oldest living person in the world whose age is validated by the GRG (after Lucile Randon, Maria Branyas Morera, and Fusa Tatsumi).
Bessie Hendricks died from COVID-19 on 3 January 2023, at the age of 115 years, 57 days, making her the oldest known victim of the pandemic. Following her death, Edie Ceccarelli became the oldest validated living person in the United States.
Gallery
.jpeg "Bessie Hendricks Oct2001 (2).jpeg (254 KB)")
.jpg "Bessie Hendricks 115 (2).jpg (73 KB)")
External Links
- Video at 104 Facebook Post, 8 April 2012
- Video at 111 (almost 112) Facebook Post, 16 October 2019
- Bessie Hendricks Fans Facebook
References
- GRG World Supercentenarian Rankings List Gerontology Research Group
- Woman about to turn 110 years old celebrates birthday early by singing KCRG, 16 October 2017
- 110 years young. Lake City farm wife becomes supercentenarian The Messenger, 7 November 2017
- The Path to the Pulpit 29 October 2019
- Happy 112th: Lake City farm wife is oldest Iowan The Messenger, 8 November 2019
- 113th birthday Facebook Post, 7 November 2020
- TODAY celebrates 100th birthdays (and a 106th and 113th!): Dec. 8, 2020 The Today Show, 8 December 2020
- Age 113 Facebook Post, 8 October 2021
- 114 years — and counting… The Messenger, 8 November 2021
- Age 114 Facebook Post, 21 August 2022
- 115th birthday Facebook Post, 7 November 2022
- Iowa woman turns 115 years old, becoming oldest person in United States ABC7 Los Angeles, 9 November 2022
- Bessie Hendricks, oldest American, dies at age 115 WANE 15, 4 January 2023
- 114-year-old Edie Ceccarelli of Willits is now the oldest person in the United States The Press Democrat, 4 January 2023