America's oldest citizen, Elizabeth Francis, dies at 115

Elizabeth Francis, the oldest American, passed away on 22 October at the age of 115 in her home in Houston. In her final moments, she was accompanied by her daughter (95) and granddaughter (69), who lived with her and cared for her before her death. The family reported that she passed peacefully, surrounded by her loved ones.

Elizabeth lived through two world wars, major epidemics, witnessed significant social changes, and observed the terms of up to 20 US presidents. She witnessed the development of technology, the emergence of telephones, television, and the internet. Despite this, in conversations with journalists, she mentioned that she remembered little about history besides the history of her family.

Elizabeth Francis was born on 25 July 1909 in Louisiana. After her mother's death, she and her five siblings were sent to different homes, and Francis ended up in Houston, where she was raised by her aunt.

- And she would always say, treat people like you want to be treated. And that was her motto, - said the deceased woman's granddaughter in an interview with "ABC News".

In one interview, Francis said that the secret to a long life was faith in God and eating fresh produce from her own garden. She also avoided addictions, never smoked, and never drank alcohol. Despite the passage of years, she did not need glasses and said her hearing was as good as it ever was.

- She did have a garden. A lot of her food came out of her garden. She would cook herself, - said Ethel Harrison in an interview with "6abc" in June.

She left behind her 95-year-old daughter in deep sorrow and a large family, including three grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren.

Her sister, Bertha Johnson, also boasted an impressive age, having passed away in 2011 at the age of 106. The women were recognised as the oldest siblings in the world.

At the time of her death, Francis was the third oldest living person in the world, as reported by an organisation, and one of the 21 longest-living individuals in the history of the United States.

The development of medicine, better quality of life, and advances in nutrition mean that increasingly more people are reaching a very advanced age. The number of centenarians in the world currently stands at about 455,000. Demographic forecasts indicate that by 2050 this number could double.