| Sylvester Melvin | |
 Sylvester Melvin (aged 106) on 11 July 1958. | |
| Birth: | 29 November 1851 Rubicon Township, Greene County, Illinois, USA |
| Death: | 12 March 1962 Illinois, USA |
| Age: | 110 years, 103 days |
| Country: |  USA
|
| Validated | |
Sylvester Melvin (29 November 1851 – 12 March 1962) was a validated American supercentenarian. He was the oldest man ever from Illinois until his age was surpassed by Walter Richardson
Biography
He was born in a farm in Rubicon Township, Greene County, Illinois, to parents Thomas and Elizabeth Melvin. He graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University. In 1880, he married Addie Strickland. The couple had four children in total. One of them, Leon, died in 1920. In 1900, he started working as a secretary of the Greene County Mutual Fire Insurance Company. At the age of 107, he was still working for the same company. He also had a cattle firm called ”Sylvester Melvin and Sons”.
As a centenarian, he was capable of raking leaves in his garden. He could remember the American Civil War that began in 1861. His wife Addie died in 1953/1954. On his 109th birthday in 1960, the mayor declared it the ”Sylvester Melvin Day”. Businesses were closed for half an hour to his honour. He was reported to have poor eyesight. He lived with one of his daughers. His secret to longevity was ”just keep from dying”. On the occasion of his 110th birthday in 1961, he was hospitalized for a minor intestinal disorder.
Melvin died in Illinois, United States on 12 March 1962, at the age of 110 years, 103 days.
Gallery
References
- GERONTOLOGY RESEARCH GROUP
- Alton Evening Telegraph, November 24, 1951
- Alton Evening Telegraph, November 29, 1955
- The Indiana Gazette, December 30, 1958
- The Bridgeport Post, November 29, 1960
- Alton Evening Post, November 22, 1961
- Alton Telegraph, November 28, 2010
- Sylvester Melvin Find A Grave
- Sylvester Melvin (1851 - 1962) Ancestry