Omaha Woman Thelma Sutcliffe, Oldest Person In The U.S., Dies At 115

Thelma Sutcliffe died peacefully at her assisted living facility in Omaha. She was the oldest person in the U.S. at 115 years old.

Robert Sorenson, 94, confirmed to CNN on Friday (January 21) that his aunt “passed away peacefully in Omaha at an assisted living facility.” Sorenson, who lives near Phoenix, hadn’t seen her in two years: “We had plans to meet, but the pandemic took place; we talked on the phone frequently… I am the last closest relative that she has. She was very important to me. She was good to me and my siblings all throughout the years.”

The Gerontology Research Group confirmed in April of last year that Sutcliffe was the oldest person in the U.S., and the seventh oldest person in the world. PEOPLE noted that Sutcliffe was one of only 19 known supercentenarians, or people who are 110 years or older, in the world. All known supercentenarian citizens were women, according to the Gerontology Research Group.

The Associated Press previously reported that Sutcliffe married at age 17 in 1924. Her husband, Bill, died in the 1970s, and the couple didn’t have children. Sutcliffe’s sister lived to be nearly 107 years old.

Before Sutcliffe, Hester Ford, of Charlotte, was the oldest person in the U.S. She celebrated her birthday in August of 2020, turning either 115 or 116 (records with her birth year are reportedly inconsistent). Ford had 12 children, 68 grandchildren, 125 great-grandchildren and 120 great-great grandchildren.