Cleo Craig | |
Birth: | 12 February 1890 Marion, Illinois, USA |
Death: | 28 June 2003 Marion, Illinois, USA |
Age: | 113 years, 136 days |
Country: | USA |
Validated |
Cleo Craig (née Dunaway; 12 February 1890 – 28 June 2003) was an American supercentenarian whose age is validated. At the time of her death, she was the oldest (Chicago Cubs) baseball fan.
Biography
Cleo Craig was born in the family house in Marion, Illinois, USA on 12 February 1890 to Thomas and Emma (née Benson) Dunaway. After graduating from the Marion high school, she taught for a year at Lincoln Elementary School in Marion.
In 1910, she married Edgar Craig, a manager at Sears Roebuck and Co. While her husband served in the Army in World War I, she worked as a reporter for the Marion newspaper, but she was mostly a homemaker. Her husband died in 1958 at the age of 67. The couple had one daughter, Elizabeth Craig Brosi, who died in 1966.
Craig was a fan of the Chicago Cubs. In 1908, when she already was an adult, the club won it's last World Series; She was a die-hard Cubs fan, her grandson Brian Brosi said. She watched them on TV and read about them in the Chicago Tribune right up until she died. Craig's favorite player was Ernie Banks. The Cubs organization found out about her fanaticism for the team and sent her memorabilia including an autographed picture of Banks.
About her longevity, Mrs. Craig attributed her long life to staying balanced. She would say, 'Be on even keel, don't be to high or too low. Take things easy, don't let them upset you, Brosi said. Craig didn't smoke or drink but liked coffee and candy. She played cards and read a lot.
Cleo Craig died in Marion, Illinois, USA on 28 July 2003 at the age of 113 years, 136 days.