| Thelma Sutcliffe | |
 Sutcliffe (aged 113) in 2019 | |
| Birth: | 1 October 1906 Omaha, Nebraska, USA |
| Death: | 17 January 2022 Omaha, Nebraska, USA |
| Age: | 115 years, 108 days |
| Country: |  USA
|
| Validated | |
Thelma Sutcliffe (née Liesche; 1 October 1906 – 17 January 2022) was an American supercentenarian who holds the record as the oldest validated person ever from the U.S. state of Nebraska. At the time of her death, she was the oldest person living in the United States whose age is validated by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG). She was also the last known validated American born in 1906 since the death of Lucy Mirigian on 12 February 2021. Sutcliffe was the fifth-oldest validated living person in the world at the time of her death, after Kane Tanaka, Lucile Randon, Antonia da Santa Cruz, and Tekla Juniewicz.
Biography
Thelma Sutcliffe was born on a farm in Benson, Omaha, Nebraska, on 1 October 1906 to August and Maude (née Adams) Liesche. Her mother died in November 1915 when Thelma was 9 years old. On 3 September 1924, at the age of 17, she married Bill Sutcliffe in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The couple had no children, and were married until Bill's death in 1971. Sutcliffe worked for the U.S. Department of War in the 1940s.
Sutcliffe survived two bouts of breast cancer over the course of her life. She drove until she reached the age of 97.
At the time of her 110th birthday in 2016, Sutcliffe lived in a residential apartment in Omaha, Nebraska. She reportedly exercised every morning, did her own laundry, and played bridge several times a week. In 2017, Sutcliffe moved in to an assisted living facility in Omaha. She credited not worrying for her longevity.
In April 2021, Sutcliffe was reported to have lost most of her sight and some of her hearing, but otherwise was 'very sharp'. She celebrated her 115th birthday later that year.
Longevity Records
At the time of her 110th birthday in 2016, Sutcliffe was the oldest known person living in Nebraska. Following the death of Mina Kitagawa on 22 October 2020, Sutcliffe entered the top ten oldest validated living people in the world. Following the death of Lucy Mirigian, she became the last remaining validated American born in 1906. Following the death of Hester Ford on 17 April 2021, Sutcliffe became the oldest validated living person in the whole of the United States.
On 14 April 2020, Sutcliffe became Nebraska's all-time longevity record-holder after surpassing the previous record of 113 years, 195 days set by Helen Stetter. Additionally, upon reaching the age of 113 years, 328 days on 24 August 2020, Sutcliffe became the oldest person ever born in Nebraska, surpassing the age of Clara Huhn. Sutcliffe is also the first person from Nebraska to turn 114 and 115.
Sutcliffe's sister, Marie Kelso (12 June 1904 – 8 March 2011), lived to the age of 106 years, 269 days. With a combined age of 222 years, 12 days, the sisters are one of the oldest pair of siblings ever recorded.
Sutcliffe died in Omaha, Nebraska, USA on 17 January 2022 at the age of 115 years, 108 days. Following her death, Bessie Hendricks became the oldest validated living person in the United States, and Maria Branyas Morera of Spain became the oldest validated living American-born person. Sutcliffe is currently tied with Susie Gibson as the 56th-oldest validated person ever.
Gallery
References
- Thelma Sutcliffe, 114 Photo Gallery, GRG
- Marie Elise Liesche Kelso Find a Grave
- Grace: For Thelma, at age 107, there's no time like the present Omaha World-Herald, 2 October 2013
- Grace: Oldest known living Nebraskan celebrates 110th birthday; when she was born Teddy Roosevelt was president Omaha World-Herald, 3 October 2016
- Omaha woman turns 111 Fox42, 30 September 2017
- Thelma Sutcliffe, Nebraska's oldest citizen, celebrates her 112th birthday Live Well Nebraska, 2 October 2018
- Thelma Sutcliffe, Nebraska’s oldest citizen, celebrates her 112th birthday AP NEWS, 3 October 2018
- Sisters, mom and my aunt Babe (She's 113 now) Warren Soenson on Facebook, 16 April 2020
- Nebraska’s oldest person set to celebrate 114th birthday Boston 25 News, 30 September 2020
- Nebraska woman celebrates 114th birthday Associated Press, 1 October 2020
- She just became the oldest living person in the US CNN, 29 April 2021
- Oldest American Credits Long Life to Avoiding Worry AARP, 20 May 2021
- I finally got to see My Dear Friend Mrs Thelma Sutcliffe @uthanu_1997 (GRG Correspondent Ethan Unruh) on Instagram, 29 May 2021
- Omaha woman, the oldest living American, to celebrate quiet 115th birthday Omaha News, 1 October 2021
- Nebraska’s Thelma Sutcliffe, oldest living person in US, dead at 115 KIRO 7, 20 January 2022