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Subscribe to RSSA 114-year-old South Carolina woman who was born when William McKinley was president of the United States and had ranked as the oldest known living American for just over two weeks, has died, her daughter said on Saturday.
Mamie Rearden died on Wednesday at a hospital in Augusta, Georgia, about 20 miles south of her South Carolina home, her youngest daughter, Sara Rearden, told Reuters.
She had recently broken her hip and was having difficulty breathing earlier in the week, her daughter said, adding, "I was looking right at her when she took her last breath."
Even at Rearden's advanced age, she was younger than the oldest known living person in the world, identified as a 115-year-old Japanese man, Jiroemon Kimura, according to the Gerontology Research Group.
The group's figures show Rearden became the oldest living person in the United States just 16 days before her death.
Rearden was born on September 7, 1898, in Edgefield, South Carolina, where she was raised and lived all her life, her daughter said. She was a school teacher early in life, but after getting married and starting a family she left the job to become a homemaker, and went on to have 11 children in all.
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She obtained her first driver's license at age 65, and at about the same time became a case worker for an anti-poverty program, according to her daughter. Her husband, Oacy Rearden, died in 1979 at the age of 88.
Rearden lived by her Baptist faith, her daughter said.
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"She was the type who would say, 'Do unto others as you want them to do by you,' and later she changed that, which is interesting, to 'do unto others as they ought to do by you,'" Sara Rearden said.
Rearden became the oldest known living person in the United States after the Dec. 17 death of 115-year-old Dina Manfredini in Iowa. At the time of her death, Manfredini also ranked as the world's oldest person, according to Guinness World Records.
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RIP sweetheart.
My generation had the direct connection with the living grandparents from the late 1800's and for those of us that have an interest in history that connection is wonderfully rewarding. Because of that we also have the living memories of what life was like then and that shaped most of our political, work ethnic and human values. I don't believe those same values drive the more recent generations.
Being the oldest person alive is like the stories of the fastest gunslinger in the old west. There is always someone just around the corner waiting and soon will take your place.
So many stories untold, and how sad. Hopefully, the family knows and records her recollections of her life & those she knew. What a life she must have led, given the years & history of those years! Forever dwell with the Lord, AMEN!
Please, Lord, don't let me live that long. Take me while I'm still able to do for myself and not become a burden on anyone else.
I cannot imagine, born in 1898, what this woman has seen in her lifetime. RIP.
Exactly! Wow... that's amazing. Bless her heart! Hope her family's okay. Having someone around that long must be hard to lose them ya know? Lord be with them.
Her family must be pretty old too! RIP Very long life, I hope it was mostly good!
That's a long time. She saw a lot of changes in her life. My Great-Grandmother was born in 1882 and we lost her in 1981.
Just think the history she has lived. It would be interesting to hear her stories of life. Just think about this she was born to parents who had probably been slaves. She would have heard accounts of the civil war era from people who had actually lived it.
She was born at a time when women couldn't vote. There were less than 8000 cars on the road. Most travel was by a horse and carriage. She lived through two World Wars, Woman Suffrage, the Great Depression, Prohibition and its repeal, the Cold War, Civil Rights, the Space Race, the Internet, Airplanes, Spaceships.
Thank you for the history lesson (I am sincere in this). She was probably brought up in which children should be seen & not heard, that women were not as 'important' as men (they were 'lesser beings' & were not worthy of the right to vote; I wonder if she became a Suffragette herself). Going from wearing long dresses to short ones (the roaring '20s) to pants (not to mention the changes in the swimsuits for women & men)! Seeing loved ones go off to war (WWI, WWII, the Korean War, Viet Nam, the wars in Iraq). Seeing/hearing all about American tragedies as well as ones all over the world (the sinkings of the Titanic, Lusitania, Andrea Doria, etc.; the Hindenburg; Pearl Harbor; the bombings of the Morrow Building in Oklahoma City & the first bombing of the WTC, then 9/11; the deaths of presidents in office {FDR during WWII; the assassination of JFK & later Robert Kennedy} & attempted assassinations). This woman had witnessed so much in her life. I am glad that she is finally at peace.
You left out the invention of the light bulb, the radio, the television, the airplane
jdm,
Great post!
...may God rest her soul.
And the electric can opener.
Not to mention the Thermos Bottle and Pet Rock.
God Bless your Mom. Goodness...she has seen the world change and lived a lifetime to tell you about it. Peace!
Hope I don't live that long, who would want to see their kids and grand kids pass on not to mention living through too many more of the last two presidential elections.....there I said it, I got in my political comment.
Let me see what I can say good or bad about religion ... meee, a baptist ... god was good to her but on the other hand I am not sure living through so much turmoil was all that good.
It is amazing how much she has been through! I'm sure that she has had family members go to war (probably her brother{s} for WWI & possibly sons for WWII &/or Korean War, grandsons in Viet Nam, great-grandsons to Iraq). She may have been a 'Rosie the Riveter' during WWII or even her daughters did that. Trying to feed a family during the Great Depression would have been hard. All of the tragedies that Americans went through--deaths of presidents in office (Roosevelt, Kennedy's assassination), Pearl Harbor, the bombing of the Murrah building in Oklahoma, 9/11. This woman had lived through it all, had seen it all. I have to wonder how 'old' her 'youngest' daughter (the one who was quoted in the article) is herself--in her 80's or 90's? I agree with you on not wanting to live longer than my children or grandchildren, but it does happen (accidents; illness like cancer, pneumonia, 'flu). I just wouldn't want to live long enough for them to die by 'natural causes' (heart attack, stroke). When it's time for me to go, I hope I pass on in my sleep (I'm a wimp when it comes to pain).
At OH NO, this story is about honoring the life of Miss Mamie. No one is in the least bit interested in your misguided political beliefs. That is not what this story is about. God blessed this wonderful lady with a long and productive life. It appears she was kind in deed was a good steward to those she encountered. We should all model her behavior. As for your wish not to live that long, be assured I am in complete agreement with you, I hope you don't either. There are enough negative hateful people in this world.
@ Oh no, it would take someone like you to comment this way. This woman have been bless to see and hear and experience things that people of today won't be able to . God bless you Mom and may God grant you eternal peace and bring a blessing of colation to your family. May we, here on earth, live by the Golden Rule.
Surviving the destruction that came after 2004, I'm pretty sure she could have survived many more. BTW I agree with you on the first thing you said.
There's always one. -_-
elo, 4ever - bone heads
My comments were neither disparaging to the lady or negative, maybe you have a problem with reading comprehension. Don't take life so seriously, no one gets out alive.
She was a good and kind person all her life. Being a Baptist was simply incidental
I like that, there is no other words can desribe her life on this earth then the comment that was made.
I can't say " God bless her soul" ....because he already did.
She is nearer my God to thee.
Rest to the arms of her Lord.
Peace upon her soul.
Rest in peace, Miss Mamie!
I would have loved to have known her...the stories she could tell..! How things were done in the old days... baking your own bread, what different things cost...just everyday stuff, all of it would interest me...
114 years! She has earned her rest, and I'm sure, her wings, too!
Amen to all of that!! I would have loved to hear from her about all that happened in her lifetime--her way of life, cultural changes & her opinions of them (at the time; a lot of people were shocked by the bikini & rock 'n' roll). I wish that people like her would write memoirs. Anne Frank wrote in her journal that people would not be interested in the writings/musings of a 14-year-old girl--the world proved that wrong. Yes, she was a Holocaust victim, but I think that if she had survived & had her diary printed anyway, people would still buy it because she detailed what life was like in the 'Secret Annex.'
Perhaps her descendants (daughter, grandchildren) could write down things that she told them so the family would have a 'record' of sorts. This is what genealogy is for, but again, I would love to read what she saw in life.
I think people need to write a book if they have lived that long! Someone should start getting their stories down if they live to be 100! I LOVE to hear all the stories about what all they have seen or heard about, where they were and what they were doing when they heard about big issues in history. I bet she even had some good stories to tell that her parents told her!!!
No respect to miss Mamie, but she is not or was not the oldest living female or male for that fact. There has been several people, woman and men that is and has lived more than 120+ years in the United States..... Fact my grand mother is 118 this year. Yes she is still alive.
@outdoorsman(I think you meant to write disrespect, sure its just a typo)
Wow, that is amazing that you grandmother will be 118 this year, how wonderful...you are so lucky to still have her.
Outdoorsman253,
Would you care to submit a claim? Please e-mail me at ryoung122@yahoo.com
Thanks
Robert Young
Senior Database Administrator
Gerontology Research Group
This Country has lost a True Treasure.
God Bless Mamie. A life well lived. Wish you could have met my great Aunt Opal Thompson who celebrates her 112th birthday in Pittsburg California next Sunday January 13th.
Outdoorsman 253 you should get your grandmother recorded in the guiness record books. Congrats at 118!!!
With due respect to the claimant, firstly:
"Going to be"118=117 now, not 118.
Verified 117-year-olds are still extremely rare...there have been none since Sarah Knauss was 117 in 1997.
Many persons born in the late 1800s or early 1900s had no records of birth. Later, mid-life documents were issued based on personal recollection. Sometimes, people inflated their age in order to obtain early retirement, avoid war service, or other reason. Many have been caught inflating their age. Eddlee Bankhead, "116," turned out to be 103. William Coates, 114, turned out to be 92. Just because someone says "I'm 118" or "I'm 120" doesn't mean they are.
God blessed Ms. Mamie. What a well lived life.
Outdoorsman 253 you should get your grandmother registed in the longevity record books. 118 Wow that is awesome!!!
My great Aunt Opal is going to turn 112 this next Sunday, January 13th in Pittsburg California.
What a classy lady. Treat others as they should treat you? Perfect!
God has to be resting Ms Mamies soul!
I live in her county and know of many Reardons. I'm sure she told a lot to them and I definitely would be interested in her family writing a life story about Miss Mamie. But I would also want stories from her entire family, from her daughter, grands (as we call them here) and her extended family.
From what I know she was a kind, loving person. Teacher, wife, mother, anti-poverty worker and who knows what else she did. Her being Baptist is germane to the article inasmuch as she lived her life as that Church taught it. I do find it interesting that she changed the do unto others part. I wonder what made her change from 'as you would have them do unto you' to 'as they ought to do unto you'. Perhaps it was the civil rights movemet. Maybe something else.
As a county with around 8-10k people, we're a proud bunch. Ten governors are from here, including Strom Thurmond. I'm proud of that fact. But I'm even prouder that regardless of race, creed or culture we treat all people the same, most with respect, although there are people who are rude, but I guess that goes for everywhere. I hope everyone in my county continues to treat people with the respect due them as Miss Mamie did to the best of her ability.
Augusta is known for its' hospitals inasmuch as we have one of the top 10 teaching Universities in the US here. Regardless of which one she went to, I'm sure they made her as comfortable as possible and allowed her to die with dignity, and treated her family and visitors with respect, as I'm sure they did for Miss Mamie.
I'll ask for a prayer for her soul at my church today. RIP
People think life is rough. Imagine, what she has seen over the years.
BREAKING NEWS!!!!!
The Oldest American Is Still Alive And Well
And always will be because no matter how many dies before them there will always be an oldest American alive.
the fact that she survived the most racist period in american history makes her better than me. I dont know her but you are wonderful.
She wasn't quiet old enough to have been a slave, so in effect, there is no possible way that she could have "survived the most racist period in american history"
Are you kidding it has nothing to do with slavery from the time she was born through the 1970s it was terrible in this country and white people should be embarassed for life for being associated with relatives and having a history like that
Sigh............
So all those "southern hospitality" lynchings, midnight kidnappings from the boys (not men) that ran around in mommy's bedsheets constantly discriminating and creating fear, not to mention the MANY MORE violence of an African-American that hit it's peak in the beginning of the the 20th Century and went either UNNOTICED or UNPUNISHED..........was all just sugar and spice and everything nice?!??!?!?! My ass.
This comment ranks up there on the ignoramus list. -_-
You can't help who it is you are related to. That's not a person's individual choice at birth so you can't really say that. Instead of being embar(r)assed, one should instead remind themselves to not continue the ignorant actions of their relatives before them.
I beg to differ sir/madame. Were the years of absolute bondage and indentured servitude NOT the harshest of years for the African American blacks? Since it is now impossible to get their take on it I would say that from here on out it will always and forever remain a subject of opinion and conjecture.
@midnightridr if we ever make use of time travel i will correct the entire time in history myself. And serve justice that these people as well as Hilter deserves
She's not better than you. You're born in the time you're suppose to be. You can do what she did and MORE. I'm sure she went through life one day at a time like you will have to do. You can do many great things but they don't have to be public in order to be great. Live your life without limits. God bless you.
Yep, God bless her for making it through the years of the little bush and the drunken cheney.
Rest in Peace Mrs. Reardon.
Word of advice to the youger generation, talk to the elders in your family, get to know them and their past before it is too late. They and their lives and stories may not be as boring as you think. My grandparents, parents and all but a couple of aunts and a uncle are gone. There are parts of our family history that are locked forever. Get to know these people, it will enrichen your lives.
something just doesnt smell right. this person just got the title 2 weeks ago and all of a sudden she drops dead? i would look at the next in line for worlds oldest person and make sure he or she has an alibi. its interesting the authorities didnt list a cause of death either.
Old Age?
I agree with you, Tamborineman. One of the biggest regrets of my life is that I did not quiz, and record, much more of my beloved father, mother, uncles and aunts before they left me. It really nags at me that I did not find out more about their (my own) linage. Now so much important information is lost forever and I am left wondering. I am sure all my folks would have been glad to pass on facts about our family to me but I was too young to stop and pay attention. What a mistake I made. All of us should not make the same mistake.
"Though the road on your path of life may be long and ardous, the rest at the end of your journey is sweet."
RIP Mrs. Rearden. You have earned it.
May God bless you and your family. Rest in Peace. If you have family that are elderly talk to them. They are a wonderful source of history that you can carry on.
She would have made and excellent history teacher. We have people (history writers, politicians) who keep changing their words so we don't know what is true anymore. It would have been awesome to hear her life experiences through the era she lived in...