Charlotte Benkner
Encyclopedia
Charlotte Benkner née Enterlein (November 16, 1889 – May 14, 2004) was an American
supercentenarian
and the oldest verified living person
from November 2003 until sufficient documentation was found to validate the age of Ramona Trinidad Iglesias-Jordan
of Puerto Rico
in March 2004. The subsequent recognition of María Capovilla
of Ecuador
in December 2005 moved Benkner down to third place at the time, but she still holds the record for the oldest verified German
-born person.
Benkner was born in Leipzig
, Germany, and emigrated to the U.S.
in 1896. She grew up in Peekskill, New York
, where her family ran the Albert Hotel, and as a young woman once met then President of the United States
Theodore Roosevelt
.
On her 1908 marriage to Karl Benkner, she moved west, living in Pennsylvania
and Ohio
before retiring to Arizona
. Already a supercentenarian
and the oldest person in Arizona, Benkner returned to Ohio to live in North Lima
. She became the oldest recognized person in the United States
when 114-year-old Elena Slough died in October 2003. She lived with her sister Tillie O'Hare (the youngest of the siblings), whom she once cared for when their parents were running the hotel, until Tillie died, just two weeks short of becoming a centenarian
, on January 25, 2004.
Benkner survived her sister by only four months, dying at age 114 years 180 days after she was briefly hospitalized in Youngstown, Ohio
, and was buried in Peekskill.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
supercentenarian
Supercentenarian
A supercentenarian is someone who has reached the age of 110 years. This age is achieved by about one in a thousand centenarians....
and the oldest verified living person
Oldest people
This is a list of tables of the verified oldest people in the world in ordinal rank, such as oldest person or oldest man. In these tables, a supercentenarian is considered 'verified' if his or her claim has been validated by an international body that specifically deals in longevity research, such...
from November 2003 until sufficient documentation was found to validate the age of Ramona Trinidad Iglesias-Jordan
Ramona Trinidad Iglesias-Jordan
Ramona Trinidad Iglesias-Jordan de Soler was a Puerto Rican supercentenarian, and, according to documents compiled in March 2004, the oldest documented person in the world after the death of Japanese woman Mitoyo Kawate, although German American woman Charlotte Benkner, who was about 3½ months...
of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
in March 2004. The subsequent recognition of María Capovilla
María Capovilla
María Esther Heredia de Capovilla was an Ecuadorian supercentenarian, and, at the time of her death at age 116 years 347 days, was recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest living person. She was the last remaining person born in the 1880s...
of Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
in December 2005 moved Benkner down to third place at the time, but she still holds the record for the oldest verified German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-born person.
Benkner was born in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, Germany, and emigrated to the U.S.
Immigration to the United States
Immigration to the United States has been a major source of population growth and cultural change throughout much of the history of the United States. The economic, social, and political aspects of immigration have caused controversy regarding ethnicity, economic benefits, jobs for non-immigrants,...
in 1896. She grew up in Peekskill, New York
Peekskill, New York
Peekskill is a city in Westchester County, New York. It is situated on a bay along the east side of the Hudson River, across from Jones Point.This community was known to be an early American industrial center, primarily for its iron plow and stove products...
, where her family ran the Albert Hotel, and as a young woman once met then President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
.
On her 1908 marriage to Karl Benkner, she moved west, living in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
before retiring to Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. Already a supercentenarian
Supercentenarian
A supercentenarian is someone who has reached the age of 110 years. This age is achieved by about one in a thousand centenarians....
and the oldest person in Arizona, Benkner returned to Ohio to live in North Lima
North Lima, Ohio
North Lima is an unincorporated community in central Beaver Township, Mahoning County, Ohio, United States. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 44452...
. She became the oldest recognized person in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
when 114-year-old Elena Slough died in October 2003. She lived with her sister Tillie O'Hare (the youngest of the siblings), whom she once cared for when their parents were running the hotel, until Tillie died, just two weeks short of becoming a centenarian
Centenarian
A centenarian is a person who is or lives beyond the age of 100 years. Because current average life expectancies across the world are less than 100, the term is invariably associated with longevity. Much rarer, a supercentenarian is a person who has lived to the age of 110 or more, something only...
, on January 25, 2004.
Benkner survived her sister by only four months, dying at age 114 years 180 days after she was briefly hospitalized in Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
, and was buried in Peekskill.