Katherine Cole

Katherine Cole (née Caldwell; 13 October 1906 – 9 January 2017) was an American supercentenarian whose age is currently unvalidated by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG). She was the oldest known person in the state of Michigan at the time of her death.

Biography
Katherine Cole was born Katherine Caldwell on 13 October 1906 in Mississippi as one of six children born to parents Henry and Maggie (née Moore) Caldwell. By 1911, the family had moved to Alberta, Canada to take advantage of homesteading opportunities. She and her siblings partook in lots of activities, which included snowshoeing, hunting, and horse riding.

Cole met her future husband, Thomas Cole, while living in Canada. Her family moved to Detroit, Michigan, where the couple married on 5 August 1934. Her husband became a tailor, while she became a seamstress. Cole also helped out in her sister’s beauty salon, and was a caregiver for 17 years in a local nursing home. The Coles eventually moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, due to the declining health of several family members. Thomas passed away in 1985 after 51 years of marriage, leaving Katherine a widow. She lived in Ann Arbor for the rest of her life.

Katherine Cole passed away on 9 January 2017 at the age of 110 years, 88 days.