Deidra Laird
She was surrounded by relatives when she died. The Charlotte Observer reports that Ford was “the mother of a huge family”: she had twelve children, 68 grandchildren, 125 great-grandchildren and at least 120 great-grandchildren. She was more than twice as old as her husband John Ford, who died in 1963 at just 57.
A message from the family said: “She was a pillar and pillar of our family and gave us all the love, support and understanding we so desperately need.” Ford also represents the advancement of African Americans and their culture in the United States. “It was a reminder of how far human beings have come on this earth.”
1905 born
According to data from the Gerontology Research Group, Hester McCardell Ford was born in South Carolina on August 15, 1905 – so she was 115 years old. The family gave her the age of 116.
The Charlotte Observer reports that the African American grew up on a ranch in the Lancaster area and was married to John Ford at the age of 14. At the age of 15 she gave birth to her first child. The family moved to Charlotte around 1960.
According to the Gerontology Research Group database, Thelma Sutcliffe is now the oldest person in the United States at 114 years old. Japanese Ken Tanaka is the oldest person in the database, at 118 years old. (SDA)
Publication date: April 19, 2021, 4:59 am
Last updated: April 19, 2021, 30 minutes ago
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