Kiyono Shigetomi | |
Kiyono Shigetomi in her centenarian years. | |
Birth: | 15 April 1907 Hiroshima, Japan |
Death: | 4 July 2017 Los Angeles, California, USA |
Age: | 110 years, 80 days |
Country: | JPNUSA |
Validated |
Kiyono Shigetomi (née Kaneko) (15 April 1907 – 4 July 2017) was a Japanese-American supercentenarian whose age is validated by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG). She was one of the oldest known people in California, USA when she died.
Biography
Kiyono Shigetomi was born as Kiyono Kaneko in Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, on 15 April 1907. In 1924, aged 17, she emigrated to the United States. Soon after, she married Morito Sakoda and had three children with him: Hideo, Yukio, and Teruo.
In 1937, Morito passed away, leaving Kiyono a widow. The family resided in San Francisco, California prior to World War 2. Kiyono worked as a seamstress. During the war, the family moved to Topaz, Utah, where Kiyono met and married her second husband, Asaji Shigetomi, who already had four children of his own: Yayoi, Akira, Sachiye, and Setsuko. They also had a son named Harry together.
Kiyono enjoyed spending time with her family in later life. She outlived both of her husbands and all four of her stepchildren. She also outlived three of her four biological children. Only Teruo was still alive when his mother passed away.
Kiyono Shigetomi passed away in Los Angeles, California, USA, on 4 July 2017, at the age of 110 years, 80 days. She was survived by her son Teruo, many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren, several nieces, nephews, and other relatives in the US and in Japan.