Oldest black woman in US with 200 great grandchildren celebrates 116th birthday
- Hester Ford, a black woman believed to be the oldest woman in the United States, has become an internet sensation as she marks her 116th year birthday
- Reports say Hester, with 12 children, has 48 grandchildren and about 200 great-grandchildren
- Hester is so celebrated that the mayor of her community has declared August 15 her day
Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in
Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about GhanaHester Ford, claimed to be the oldest living American, has marked her 116th year birthday in a unique way as a result of the globally ravaging coronavirus.
Hester has been an internet sensation with her photographs and videos of the celebration rocking social media since the news broke.
The woman, who is from Charlotte, North Carolina, celebrated a drive-through birthday with few family members around her, a report by Daily Mail stated.
Metro also reports that she has 12 children, 48 grandchildren with about 200 great-grandchildren.
Source: UGC
The drive-through birthday celebration on Thursday, August 13, it was learnt, was held ahead of the main day.
Born in South Carolina ahead of the First World War in 1904, she has lived in Charlotte for at least 59 years and is taken like a celebrity.
To honour her, the Mayor of Charlotte's, Vi Lyles, has declared 15 August ‘Mother Hester Ford Day’.
Funny enough, Hester is said to be confused concerning how she has managed to live so long.
With the death of Alelia Murphy at 115 in November 2019, Hester is believed to now be the oldest woman.
Married to John Ford, a steel worker, when she was 14, in 1918, her husband reportedly died at the age of 57 in 1963.
It is learnt that at her age, Hester is now the third oldest person alive.
Kane Tanaka from Japan turned 117 on January 2 while Lucile Randon, a woman from France, is senior to Hester with seven months.
In the face of the celebration, however, there is controversy over her age. While she claims to be born in 1905, fresh documents seen in 2019 showed that she was born in 1904.
Source: YEN.com.gh
