Delina Filkins
Encyclopedia
Delina Filkins, née Ecker (May 4, 1815 – December 4, 1928) was an American
supercentenarian
who was the earliest verified person to reach the ages of 112 and 113
, in 1927 and 1928, respectively. Filkins was the first verified person to surpass the longest confirmed lifespan by two years. She was also the first supercentenarian to outlive another supercentenarian, in fact she outlived two: Miriam Bannister
(1817-1928) and Demetrius Philiphovitch (1818-1928). Her case was thoroughly investigated in the 1970s and re-investigated in 2005, and found to be fully verifiable. In fact, the number of documents located make this the second-most verified case of all time, after Jeanne Calment
.
Delina's age in 1928, 113, would not be reached again until Betsy Baker
attained it in 1955, and Filkins' record stood for more than 50 years - which by far is the longest period of time a person have held the record as the oldest undisputed person ever. Filkins' age was 113 years 214 days at the time of her death in Richland Springs, New York.
she went to school until she was 11 and then stayed at home to work, and also spent all her life there, except the last two months of it, within a radius of ten miles. Her father, William Ecker, lived to reach the age of 97 before he died, while her mother lived only to the age of 78.
and ending with Calvin Coolidge
.
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....
who was the earliest verified person to reach the ages of 112 and 113
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...
, in 1927 and 1928, respectively. Filkins was the first verified person to surpass the longest confirmed lifespan by two years. She was also the first supercentenarian to outlive another supercentenarian, in fact she outlived two: Miriam Bannister
Miriam Bannister
Miriam Sparks Banister née Voisey was one of the earliest supercentenarians. Born in Salcombe Regis, Devon, England to John and Hester Voisey, she married John Bodman Banister in 1850 at the age of 33. She later moved to the United States in 1854. She attributed her longevity to "simple foods,...
(1817-1928) and Demetrius Philiphovitch (1818-1928). Her case was thoroughly investigated in the 1970s and re-investigated in 2005, and found to be fully verifiable. In fact, the number of documents located make this the second-most verified case of all time, after Jeanne Calment
Jeanne Calment
Jeanne Louise Calment was a French supercentenarian who had the longest confirmed human life span in history, living to the age of . She lived in Arles, France, for her entire life, and outlived both her daughter and grandson. She became especially well known from the age of 113, when the...
.
Delina's age in 1928, 113, would not be reached again until Betsy Baker
Betsy Baker (supercentenarian)
Betsy Russell Baker was the first listed supercentenarian in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's then-oldest person...
attained it in 1955, and Filkins' record stood for more than 50 years - which by far is the longest period of time a person have held the record as the oldest undisputed person ever. Filkins' age was 113 years 214 days at the time of her death in Richland Springs, New York.
Early years
Born in Herkimer County, New YorkHerkimer County, New York
Herkimer County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It was created in 1791 north of the Mohawk River out of part of Montgomery County. As of the 2010 census, the population was 64,519. It is named after General Nicholas Herkimer, who died from battle wounds in 1777 after taking part...
she went to school until she was 11 and then stayed at home to work, and also spent all her life there, except the last two months of it, within a radius of ten miles. Her father, William Ecker, lived to reach the age of 97 before he died, while her mother lived only to the age of 78.
Family
Filkins was married in 1834. She had six children. Only two of them were living at the time of her death: Frank (72) and Alonzo (86). During her lifetime, she lived through 27 U.S. presidencies, beginning with James MadisonJames Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
and ending with Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
.
See also
- A. Ross Eckler, Jr.A. Ross Eckler, Jr.Albert Ross Eckler, Jr. is a logologist and statistician, the son of statistician A. Ross Eckler. He received a B.A. from Swarthmore College and a Ph.D. in mathematics from Princeton University....
- List of the oldest people
- Oldest peopleOldest peopleThis 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...
- SupercentenarianSupercentenarianA supercentenarian is someone who has reached the age of 110 years. This age is achieved by about one in a thousand centenarians....