Florence Busch

Florence Pearl Busch (née Heisdorf; 13 August 1896 – 21 January 2009) was an American supercentenarian whose age has been validated by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG). She is one of the oldest people ever from the US state of Wisconsin.

Biography
Florence Busch was born Florence Pearl Heisdorf in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on 13 August 1896 as the daughter of Peter (1872-1966) and Josephine (née Hassenmiller) Heisdorf. She had two twin brothers: John (1901-1968) and James (1901-1971). Her mother and father lived to be 53 and 94 years old respectively.

Busch married twice, divorcing her first husband early but not before having a daughter, Jeanne (born 1919), with him. She had a son, Tom, with her second husband, Roland Busch, but he died aged 61. Busch herself worked as a secretary at the Pfister & Vogel tannery in Milwaukee until she retired. The couple spent their retirement in Florida, pursuing artistic hobbies and athletic activities including golf and tennis.

After Roland’s death in 1975 aged 75, Busch went back to Wisconsin and moved into a newly built senior housing complex in Waukesha, where she stayed until she was 105. She had a hip replacement as a nonagenarian and broke her other hip as a centenarian.

Busch passed away in her wheelchair in Waukesha, Wisconsin on 17 April 2008 at the age of 112 years, 161 days. She was survived by her daughter, six grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and seven great-great-grandchildren.