Naomi Whitehead, a Pennsylvania native who just turned 114, has been declared the oldest living person in North America. She attributed her long life to avoiding common vices.
Born in 1910, Whitehead took over from Elizabeth Francis as the oldest person in North America following the passing away of Francis at the age of 115 on October 22.
At the time of her death, Francis was recognized as the third-oldest person globally, according to LongeviQuest, a global database tracking the world’s oldest individuals.
Whitehead, who is now recognized as North America’s oldest living person at 114, attributes her long life to abstaining from smoking and drinking, alongside good genes, as her father lived into his 90s, according to The Sharon Herald.
Currently the world’s seventh oldest person, Whitehead boasts a large family with 12 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren, 49 great-great-grandchildren, and three great-great-great-grandchildren.
She has outlived a dozen siblings, as well as her husband Sylvester Whitehead, who passed away in the 1980s, and her three sons. She remained single after her husband’s death.
“I said if I loved him, I would never get married again,” she told the outlet.
Whitehead recounted that some of the major events she has witnessed include the Titanic sinking, the civil rights movement, and the 1918 flu pandemic.
Born on a Georgia farm, she now resides in a senior living community.
“I picked cotton and tobacco,” she recalled of the years she spent on the farm before moving to Sharon, Pa.
The supercentenarian enjoys cooking, baking, drawing, listening to music, and sharing stories.
“She’s a Godly woman,” her grandson, Dan Whitehead, told the newspaper. “She is truly blessed.”
Though she now has difficulty walking, she takes pleasure in being pushed around the care center where she resides.
