Gerontology Wiki

This is a list of the world's individuals who survived the longest after being widowed.

Living people widowed for 40+ years[]

      Validated      Pending      Unvalidated      Under 110

Name Sex Birth Current age Date Widowed Years Widowed Country
Marie-Rose Tessier F 21 May 1910 115 years, 248 days 1944 80+ years FranceFRA
Marjorie Hodnett F 1 Apr 1914 111 years, 298 days 1955/1957 67/69+ years United KingdomUK
Santos Fierro F 22 Jul 1913 112 years, 186 days 1966 58+ years United StatesUSA
Anna Natella F 21 Nov 1912 113 years, 64 days Apr 1974 51+ years ItalyITAUnited StatesUSA
Naomi Whitehead F 26 Sep 1910 115 years, 120 days 1979 45+ years United StatesUSA

Oldest widowed people (Without Remarrying) - 60+ years[]

      Validated      Pending      Unvalidated      Under 110

Name Sex Birth Death Age Date Widowed Years Widowed Country
Maria L Rodriguez [1] F 4 Aug 1900 5 Aug 2011 111 years, 1 day 1919 95 MexicoMEXUnited StatesUSA
Iris Estay F 3 Sep 1910? 26 Nov 2021 111 years, 84 days? 14 Jan 1928? 93 years, 316 days? ChileCHL
Martha Rein F 17 Aug 1874 6 Jan 1987 112 years, 142 days 1895 91+ years GermanyGERUnited StatesUSA
Shi Ping M 1 Nov 1911 29 Jun 2024 112 years, 241 days 20 Jan 1935 89 years, 161 days ChinaCHN
Amalia López Celis F 18 Sep 1900 16 July 2014 113 years, 301 days 1928 85-86 MexicoMEX
Cedelice Morin [2][3] F 12 Jul 1851 17 Jul 1959 108 years, 5 days Sep 1873 85+ years United StatesUSA
Mary Kelly F 7 Jun 1851 30 Dec 1964 113 years, 206 days 6 Dec 1880 84 years, 24 days United StatesUSA
Misao Okawa F 5 Mar 1898 1 Apr 2015 117 years, 27 days 20 Jun 1931 83 years, 285 days JapanJPN
Calista Fowler [4][5] F 28 Aug 1831 26 Jun 1938 106 years, 302 days 7 Mar 1855 [6][7][8] 83 years, 111 days United StatesUSA
Zelma Brombin [9] F 7 July 1921 1 Sept 2025 104 years, 56 days 31 Jan 1943 82 years, 213 days ItalyITA
Anne Brasz-Later F 16 Jul 1906 2 Sep 2020 114 years, 48 days 3 June 1938 82 years, 91 days NetherlandsNED
Elizabeth Quintard [10] F 1830? 6 Jan 1934 103 years? 1852? 82+ years[11] United StatesUSA
Estella C. Oliver [12] F 20 Jun 1893 1 Jun 2004 110 years, 347 days 1922[13] 82+ years United StatesUSA
Berthe Mourey F 21 Nov 1902 10 Mar 2013 110 years, 109 days 1931 82+ years FranceFRA
Odette Ambülher F 17 Sep 1901 31 Dec 2012 111 years, 105 days 1931 81+ years FranceFRA
Reine Goix F 27 Feb 1904 31 Mar 2014 110 years, 32 days 1932 81+ years FranceFRA
Virginia McLaurin F 12 March 1909? 14 Nov 2022 113 years, 247 days? 1941 81+ years United StatesUSA
Milka Baukovic F 5 Feb 1915 23 Jan 2026 110 years, 352 days 8 May 1945 80 years, 260 days CroatiaCROSerbiaSRB
Eva Mae Dowdy [14] F 13 Jan 1899 1 Jan 2000 100 years, 353 days 24 May 1919 80+ years United StatesUSA
Mary Bailey F 17 Dec 1902 13 June 2013 110 years, 178 days 1932 80+ years United KingdomUK
Helen Jackson F 3 Aug 1919 16 Dec 2020 101 years, 135 days 1939 80+ years United StatesUSA
Annamah Abukutty F 31 Mar 1911 1 Jun 2022 111 years, 62 days 1942/1943 79/80+ years IndiaINDMalaysiaMYS
Annie E Owens [15][16] F 16 Jan 1857 4 Sep 1959 102 years, 231 days 1879 79+ years United StatesUSA
Gertrude Gilham F 14 Jul 1886 3 Oct 1996 110 years, 81 days Feb 1916 79+ years CanadaCAN
Shinobu Hayashi F 15 Mar 1909 25 Jan 2023 113 years, 316 days 1943 79+ years JapanJPN
Anna Kutt F 18 Feb 1911 10 Dec 2018 107 years, 295 days 1938 79+ years EstoniaEST
Eva Grafunder F 17 Jun 1903 14 Jul 2013 110 years, 27 days 1934 78+ years GermanyGERCanadaCAN
Helma Graham F 28 Jun 1904 6 Oct 2015 111 years, 100 days 1936 78+ years United StatesUSA
Hide Hamabe F 3 Dec 1908 10 Jan 2023 114 years, 38 days 1944 78+ years JapanJPN
Ida Zoccarato F 24 May 1909 16 Jan 2022 112 years, 237 days 1943 78+ years ItalyITA
Effie Baus [17][18] F 3 Jul 1861 20 Nov 1966 105 years, 140 days 14 Jun 1889 [19] 77 years, 159 days United StatesUSA
Vera Price F 16 Dec 1904 9 May 2015 110 years, 144 days 1937/1938 77+ years United KingdomUK
Robert Marchand M 26 Nov 1911 22 May 2021 109 years, 177 days 1943 77+ years FranceFRA
Chrisoula Zafiridou [20] F 8 Feb 1927 9 Feb 2024 97 years, 1 day 1946 77+ years GreeceGREUnited StatesUSA
Hendrikje Kraal-Steenbergen [21] F 31 Jan 1915 7 Apr 2019 104 years, 66 days 9 May 1942 76 years, 333 days
Marion Williams [22][23] F 29 Jan 1910 31 Aug 2014 104 years, 214 days 1937 [24] 76+ years United KingdomUK
Carmen Pacheco de Carrasco F 26 Nov 1901 16 Jan 2013 111 years, 51 days 3 June 1937 75 years, 227 days VenezuelaVEN
Qian Xingrong F 1 Jan 1899? 16 Nov 2009 110 years, 319 days 1933 75+ years ChinaCHN
Margarida Blanco F 19 Feb 1908? 19 August 2025 117 years, 181 days? 1949 75+ years BrazilBRA
Angele Legloire F 10 Feb 1910 19 Feb 2020 110 years, 9 days 1944 75+ years FranceFRA
Ambrosia De Pauw [25] F 31 Aug 1911 19 May 2020 108 years, 262 days 1944 75+ years BelgiumBEL
Margaret Bunnell [26] F 10 Jul 1894 5 Nov 1993[27] 99 years, 118 days 10 Nov 1918 74 years, 360 days United StatesUSA
Carrie Van Ningen [28] F 16 Feb 1871 29 Nov 1970 99 years, 286 days 18 Mar 1896 74 years, 256 days United StatesUSA
Mabel Russell Black F 10 Jun 1869[29] 22 Aug 1969[30] 100 years, 73 days 27 Dec 1894[31] 74 years, 238 days United StatesUSA
Valentine Ligny F 22 Oct 1906 4 Jan 2022 115 years, 74 days 27 July 1947 74 years, 161 days FranceFRA
Florence Pannell F 26 Dec 1868 20 Oct 1980 111 years, 299 days 1905 74+ years United KingdomUK
Mollie Beard F 4 May 1893 3 Sep 2003 110 years, 122 days 1928 74+ years United StatesUSA
Kimi Kawasaki F 24 Mar 1909 10 Dec 2022 113 years, 261 days 1947 74+ years JapanJPN
Mary Louise Williams [32] F 25 Dec 1841 19 May 1936 94 years, 146 days 1862 73+ years United StatesUSA
Rosalia Hasenkampf F 15 Oct 1889 10 July 2002 112 years, 282 days 1928 73+ years RussiaRUSGermanyGER
Rosa Beckner F 11 Nov 1903 7 Feb 2015 111 years, 88 days 1941 73+ years United StatesUSA
Ethel Hooper [33] F 29 July 1899 30 Mar 2008[34] 108 years, 245 days 23 Sep 1935[35] 72 years, 189 days United StatesUSA
Catherine Grow F 25 Mar 1837 19 Feb 1938 100 years, 331 days 16 Oct 1865[36] 72 years, 126 days United StatesUSA
Jershua Moor F 29 Sep 1791 28 Nov 1889 98 years, 122 days 1816? 72+ years[37] United StatesUSA
Floried Hillers F 1 Jan 1872 15 Apr 1983 111 years, 104 days 1910 72+ years United StatesUSA
Li Chun F 22 Apr 1896? 18 Mar 2009 112 years, 330 days 1936 72+ years ChinaCHN
Elisabeth Tränkner F 11 Aug 1906 7 Nov 2018 112 years, 88 days 1945 72+ years GermanyGER
Alberta Martin F 4 Dec 1906 31 May 2004 97 years, 179 days+ 1931 72+ years United StatesUSA
Stephanie Gaspic F 1913? 30 Mar 2011 97 years, 89 days+ 1938? 72+ years[38] United StatesUSA
Maudie Hopkins F 7 Dec 1914 17 Aug 2008 93 years, 254 days 12 Feb 1937 71 years, 187 days United StatesUSA
Audrey Stratton F 18 Feb 1900 3 June 2010 110 years, 105 days 1938 71+ years United StatesUSA
Agnes G Nelson [39] F 3 May 1918 20 June 2020 102 years, 30 days 22 Feb 1950 70 years, 101 days United StatesUSA
Marie-Louise Jeancard F 5 Sept 1876 25 Nov 1988 112 years, 81 days 1917 70+ years FranceFRA
Vonnie Looney F 4 May 1893 3 Sep 2003 110 years, 122 days 1932 70+ years United StatesUSA
Mabel Mah F 4 July 1910 30 Jan 2024 113 years, 210 days 1953 70+ years CanadaCAN
Elizabeth Peters F 19 Apr 1919 fl. 21 April 2022 106 years, 229 days 1951 70+ years St. HelenaSHN,United KingdomUK
Fannie Lou Mettauer [40] F 21 July 1903 10 July 1996 92 years, 355 days 25 Sep 1926 69 years, 289 days United StatesUSA
Fanni Gyarmati [41] F 8 Sept 1912 15 Feb 2014 101 years, 160 days 4/9 Nov 1944[42] 69 years, 98/103 days HungaryHUN
Emma Tillman F 22 Nov 1892 28 Jan 2007 114 years, 67 days 1937 69+ years[43] United StatesUSA
Edna Parker F 20 Apr 1893 26 Nov 2008 115 years, 220 days 1938 69+ years United StatesUSA
Berta Zeisler F 2 Feb 1900 1 Dec 2010 110 years, 302 days 1940 69+ years FranceFRAGermanyGER
Armida Sholar F 9 Aug 1905 4 Apr 2017 111 years, 238 days 1947 69+ years United StatesUSA
Josefine Ollmann F 11 Nov 1908 16 July 2022 113 years, 247 days 1952 69+ years GermanyGER
Vivian Forst F 25 June 1911 23 Feb 2023 111 years, 243 days 1953 69+ years United StatesUSA
Atilana Garcia Holgado F 5 Oct 1912 17 July 2023 110 years, 285 days 1953? 69+ years SpainESP
Elizabeth Barnhisel [44] F 21 Sept 1830 13 May 1934 103 years, 234 days 12 July 1865 68 years, 305 days GermanyGERUnited StatesUSA
Maria Rodriguez Sanchez F 24 Jan 1913 21 Dec 2023 110 years, 331 days 1955 67+ years SpainESP
Abby Milton F 6 Feb 1881 2 May 1991 110 years, 85 days 1924 66+ years United StatesUSA
Jean Cunningham F 19 July 1910? 18 Aug 2020 110 years, 30 days 1953 66+ years United StatesUSA
Luigia Ruggeri [45] F 22 Oct 1912 6 Apr 2020 107 years, 167 days 1953 66+ years ItalyITA
Rosaria Caleca F 5 Feb 1895 6 May 2007 112 years, 90 days 1941 65+ years ItalyITAUnited StatesUSA
Sarah Spires F 10 Apr 1910 10 Jan 2022 111 years, 275 days 1956 65+ years United StatesUSA
Maria Gomes Valentim F 9 July 1896 21 June 2011 114 years, 347 days 1946 64+ years BrazilBRA
Maria Dolores Ferreira F 22 July 1902 31 July 2013 111 years, 9 days 1948 64+ years PortugalPOR
Pauline Hapes F 15 June 1913 27 July 2025 112 years, 42 days 1961 63+ years United StatesUSA
Lorena Pisani [46] F 26 Mar 1924 18 Aug 2024 100 years, 145 days 1960 63+ years ItalyITA
Laura di Pietro [47] F 23 Nov 1930 25 July 2018 87 years, 244 days 8 Aug 1956 61 years, 351 days ItalyITA
Maria Farrugia F 7 Mar 1912 23 Dec 2024 112 years, 291 days 1962 61+ years MaltaMLT

Oldest widowed people (From First Spouse) - 70+ years[]

      Validated      Pending      Unvalidated      Under 110

Name Sex Birth Death Age Date First Spouse Died Years Widowed Country
Magda Janssens F 16 Mar 1912 18 Sept 2023 111 years, 186 days 23 Apr 1937 86 years, 148 days BelgiumBEL
Marie-Louise Meilleur F 29 Aug 1880 16 Apr 1998 117 years, 230 days 1911/1912 86+ years CanadaCAN
Anna Stephan F 25 Mar 1892 3 Aug 2003 111 years, 131 days between 1913/1918[48] 84+ years Czech RepublicCZEGermanyGER
Elena Slough F 4 July 1889 5 Oct 2003 114 years, 93 days 1918 84+ years United StatesUSA
Bettie Wilson F 13 Sept 1890 13 Feb 2005 115 years, 153 days 1920 84+ years United StatesUSA
Eunice Bowman F 23 Aug 1898 16 July 2010 111 years, 327 days 1928 81+ years United KingdomUK
Ida Schlesinger F 7 Nov 1902 3 July 2014 111 years, 238 days 1932 81+ years United StatesUSA
Catherine Dion F 26 July 1901 21 June 2012 110 years, 331 days 1931 80+ years CanadaCANUnited StatesUSA
Elvira de Jesus Caldeira F 27 July 1886 5 June 1998 111 years, 313 days 1921 76+ years PortugalPOR
Mary Strother F 29 Aug 1886 1 Nov 1996 110 years, 64 days 1920 75+ years United StatesUSA
Françoise Bodin F 23 Mar 1773 28 Dec 1699 73+ years
Paulette Magne-Ducamin F 21 Apr 1912 12 Jan 2024 111 years, 266 days 1950 73+ years FranceFRA

Oldest widowed males - 35+ years[]

      Validated      Pending      Unvalidated      Under 110

Name Birth Death Age Date First Spouse Died Years Widowed Country
Shi Ping 1 Nov 1911 29 June 2024 112 years, 241 days 20 Jan 1935 89 years, 161 days ChinaCHN
Robert Marchand 26 Nov 1911 22 May 2021 109 years, 177 days 1943 77+ years FranceFRA
Zivan Popovic 30 Jan 1917 12 Jan 2024 106 years, 347 days 1950 73+ years SerbiaSRB
Walter Breuning 21 Sept 1896 14 Apr 2011 114 years, 205 days 1957 53+ years United StatesUSA
Henryk Kozubski 10 Dec 1911 4 Feb 2021 109 years, 56 days 1971 49+ years PolandPOL
Tom MacIver 13 June 1907 18 Apr 2014 106 years, 309 days 1965 48+ years United KingdomUK
Tripolino Giannini 20 Aug 1912 31 Dec 2023 111 years, 133 days 11 July 1982 41 years, 173 days ItalyITA
Henry Allingham 6 June 1896 18 July 2009 113 years, 42 days 1970 38+ years United KingdomUK

Possible inclusions[]

Yone Minagawa (widowed at a "young age")

Chie Kanna (husband died in WWII)

Yolanda Gugliotti (husband died in the 1940s)

Elzbieta Rogala (husband died "shortly after WWII)

Bessie Camm (remarried in 1949)

Sai Maehara ("widowed shortly after World War II")

Maria Carmen Nouche Porro ("widowed during the Spanish Civil War")

Jeronimo Garcia ("He married, but was widowed a year later")

Sadie King ("was widowed very early")

Kauloa Kekahuna (possibly widowed for 70 years) [49]

Katherine of Desmond ("lived as a widow for 70 years")[50]

Cambell Laird ("was a widow for 70 years") [51]

Elizabeth Harding ("had been a widow for 70 years")[52]

Jane Leeper Harrison ("was a widow for 70 years")[53]

Eleanor Saunders ("having been a widow for 73 years")[54]

Vi Butler ("A widow for 73 years") [55]

Hester Fox ("had been a widow for 76 years")[56]

Mrs. Hamilton ("has thus been a widow for 74 years")[57]

  1. Irving woman in exclusive company as she nears 111th birthday The Dallas Morning News, 12 July 2011
  2. 106-Year-Old Calls Routine Her 'Secret' The Gazette, 10 July 1957
  3. Mrs. Elzear Morin Dies at Age 108 The Ottawa Journal, 18 July 1959
  4. Elgin Woman Celebrates Birthday, Minds Business The Daily Chronicle, 28 August 1937
  5. Calista Sherburne Fowler (1831-1938) Find a Grave
  6. Woman Of 105 Votes LincolnJournal Star, 4 November 1936
  7. Obituary for Calista Fowler
  8. Milo C. Fowler (1827-1855) Find a Grave
  9. Lena muore a 104 anni, era l'ultima vedova di guerra: «È stata il simbolo di una generazione» Il Gazzettino, 3 September 2025
  10. Reputed Oldest Woman In State Dies At Age 104 Hartford Courant, 8 January 1934
  11. https://www.newspapers.com/article/hartford-courant/50216180/
  12. Longtime N.Y. teacher dies at the age of 110 Tampa Bay Times, 4 June 2004
  13. https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2004/06/04/longtime-n-y-teacher-dies-at-the-age-of-110/
  14. Eva Mae Bryan Dowdy (1899-2000) Find a Grave
  15. Annie Elizabeth Thompson Owens (1857-1959) Find a Grave
  16. https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-constitution-she-is-still-be/151787047/
  17. Effie T Kissinger Baus (1861-1966) Find a Grave
  18. 105th Birthday Kitsap Sun, 6 July 1966
  19. Jacob J. Baus (1859-1889) Find a Grave
  20. Chrisoula Zafiridou Obituary
  21. www.historieruinerwold.nl/cgi-bin/knipsels.pl?type=img&file=knipsels/100pct/49721.jpg
  22. Death Notice Telegraph & Argus, 8 September 2014
  23. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/20369755:61596 1939 register
  24. Tributes paid to 'remarkable' Bradford headmistress Telegraph & Argus, 5 September 2014
  25. Ambrosia De Pauw (1911-) Belgische eeuwelingen, 28 September 2018
  26. THE BUNNELL/BONNELL NEWSLETTER
  27. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1140924:4124
  28. Carrie Van Ningen Obit Argus-Leader, 30 November 1970
  29. Woman Celebrates 100th Birthday 9 June 1969
  30. Obituary for Mabel Russell Black The Buffalo News, 23 August 1969
  31. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/228093:2552
  32. Mary Louise “Mollie” Blake Williams (1941-1936) Find a Grave
  33. Oldest Person in the World
  34. Obituary for Ethel Marlowe HOOPER The Sacramento Bee, 16 April 2008
  35. Herbert Hayes Hooper (1896-1935) Find a Grave
  36. Catherine (Hartley) Grow (1837 - 1938) WikiTree
  37. https://ia800403.us.archive.org/31/items/wheatgenealogyhi02whea/wheatgenealogyhi02whea.pdf, page 148
  38. https://www.courant.com/obituaries/stephanie-gaspic-wethersfield-rocky-hill-newington-ct/
  39. Obituary Clugstone-Tibbitts Funeral Home
  40. <èhttps://www.findagrave.com/memorial/130778326/fannie-lou-mettauer Fannie Lou Day Mettauer] Find a Grave
  41. Fanni Gyarmati - obituary The Telegraph, 21 February 2014
  42. Miklós Radnóti Wikipedia
  43. https://www.courant.com/2007/01/30/oldest-person-dead-at-114/
  44. Elizabeth (Hoffman) Barnhisel (1830 - 1934) WikiTree
  45. Col San Martino in lutto per nonna Gigetta: se n’è andata la nonna di tutti, era la più anziana del Comune Qdpnews, 6 April 2020
  46. È morta a cento anni la maestra Lorena Anselmi Noli Pisani Tusciaweb.eu, 19 August 2024
  47. [https://pochestorie.corriere.it/2018/07/25/marcinelle-addio-allultima-vedova-bambina/ Marcinelle, addio all’ultima “vedova bambina”] Corriere della Sera, 25 July 2018
  48. https://rp-online.de/panorama/111-jahre-anna-stephan-ist-die-aelteste-deutsche_aid-8613845
  49. https://www.nytimes.com/1929/10/06/archives/hawaiian-woman-dies-at-age-of-115-a-widow-for-70-years-mrs-kk.html
  50. https://www.demogr.mpg.de/books/odense/6/03.htm
  51. https://yannatry.blogspot.com/2010/06/john-o-groats.html
  52. https://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/lifestyle/21232705.week-60-years-ago-caledonian-road-landlord-rips-lazy-tenants/
  53. https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~harrisonrep/genealogy/hhdocs/83dechh.htm
  54. https://issuu.com/rgs-it/docs/war_years_exhibition_book_-_if_prin, page 50-51
  55. https://thegoodlifesurbiton.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/10-oct-nov-17.pdf
  56. https://books.google.com/books?id=WG8_5MDHWv4C&pg=RA1-PA655&lpg=RA1-PA655&dq=%22widow+for+76+years%22&source=bl&ots=9qFYfM9uHT&sig=ACfU3U0uZ6Cq8q2KxSqcrv44LmmgfWZmzw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwim57Oa77mHAxVEMlkFHTI3BTYQ6AF6BAgeEAM#v=onepage&q=%22widow%20for%2076%20years%22&f=false
  57. https://books.google.com/books?id=OlpJAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA211&lpg=PA211&dq=%22widow+for+74+years%22&source=bl&ots=YJzhgVIBG6&sig=ACfU3U2HtIGs6KKlmYth-1GDtjdQmQOb3A&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjZgcj58bmHAxUWFVkFHYavCDgQ6AF6BAgcEAM#v=onepage&q=%22widow%20for%2074%20years%22&f=false