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|deathplace=USA
  
|deathplace=USA
 
|sort = Filkins, Delina
  
|sort = Filkins, Delina
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}}'''Delina Filkins''' (née '''Ecker'''; 4 May 1815 – 4 December 1928) was an American supercentenarian who was the oldest validated person ever at the time of her death.
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'''Delina Filkins''' (May 4, 1815—December 4, 1928) was an American verified supercentenarian. She was born as Delina Ecker in a farmhouse in Stark, Herkimer County, New York. Her father was William Ecker. Both parents were of Dutch ancestry. In 1826, she quit school to work at home. In 1834, she married John Filkins. The couple had six children in total. The ran a cheese making business. John died in 1890.
  
   
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==Biography==
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On her 101st birthday, her eyesight and hearing were good. When she was 107 years old, she underwent an operation.
  
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On her 111th birthday, it was revealed that Filkins wakes up every morning around 5:30 am, makes her own bed, other household chores and reads books. It was also mentioned that she used glasses to read,and that her hearing was worse than before. She claimed she didn’t have any secrets to her longevity.
  
   
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Towards the very end of her life, her health declined and she initally refused to become bedridden. She eventually was convinced to lie down. Filkins died on December 4, 1928, at the age of 113 years, 214 days. She was the oldest living person in the world at the time of her death. Longevity was prevalent in her family, with her father living to be 97 and her mother was 78 years old.
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Filkins was born in a farmhouse in Stark, Herkimer County, New York on 4 May 1815. Her father was William Ecker. Both parents were of Dutch ancestry. Longevity was prevalent in her family, with her father living to be 97 and her mother to 78.
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In 1826, Filkins quit school to work at home. In 1834, she married John Filkins, with whom she had six children. They ran a cheese-making business. John died in 1890.
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  ⚫
On Filkins' 101st birthday, her eyesight and hearing were good. When she was 107 years old, she underwent an operation. On her 111th birthday, it was revealed that Filkins woke up every morning around 5:30 am, made her own bed, did other household chores, and read books. It was also mentioned that she used glasses to read,and that her hearing was worse than before. She claimed she didn’t have any secrets to her longevity.
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Filkins' age led to her fame. Numerous newspaper articles, especially from 1925 to 1928, are in existence. Courted by both US candidates for President in the 1928 election, Delina became the oldest voter on record then, voting at age 113 in November 1928 (her record wasn't broken until 2008, when Gertrude Baines voted at age 114).
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Towards the very end of her life, Filkins' health declined and she initially refused to become bedridden. She eventually was convinced to lie down. Filkins died on 4 December 1928, at the age of 113 years, 214 days.
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==Longevity Records==
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Filkins was the oldest living person in the world, as well as the oldest person to have ever lived, at the time of her death. She was the fifth validated supercentenarian in history, the second validated person to reach the age of 111, and the first validated person to reach the ages of 112 and 113.
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Filkins became the oldest validated person ever when she tied the age of [[Louisa Thiers]] on 19 September 1926, and held the title until her own age was surpassed by [[Fannie Thomas]] on 15 November 1980. Her record stood for over 54 years, which is also a record for the longest time the "oldest person ever" title has been held.
   
 
==References==
  
==References==
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*[http://www.grg.org Gerontology Research Group]
 
*[http://newspaperarchive.com/us/new-york/syracuse/syracuse-herald/1916/05-04/page-31 Syracuse Herald, May 4, 1916]
  
*[http://newspaperarchive.com/us/new-york/syracuse/syracuse-herald/1916/05-04/page-31 Syracuse Herald, May 4, 1916]
 
*[http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=950&dat=19260504&id=lb5RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5FQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4181,6461091 The Evening Independent, May 4, 1926]
  
*[http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=950&dat=19260504&id=lb5RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5FQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4181,6461091 The Evening Independent, May 4, 1926]
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*[http://herkimer.nygenweb.net/stark/delinaobit.html 1928 obituary]
  
*[http://herkimer.nygenweb.net/stark/delinaobit.html 1928 obituary]
   
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{{reflist}}
 
[[Category:New York births]]
  
[[Category:New York births]]
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[[Category:Verified supercentenarians]]
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[[Category:Oldest people ever]]
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[[Category:American supercentenarians]]
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[[Category:New York deaths]]
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[[Category:1815 births]]
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[[Category:United States births]]
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[[Category:1928 deaths]]
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[[Category:United States deaths]]
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[[Category:Female supercentenarians]]
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[[Category:Former national longevity recordholders]]
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[[Category:Oldest people ever]
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[[Category:Supercentenarian voters]]

Revision as of 19:26, 13 July 2020

Delina Filkins
Delina Filkins
Delina Filkins at the age of 109.
Birth: 4 May 1815
Stark, New York, USA
Death: 4 December 1928
USA
Age: 113 years, 214 days
Country: United StatesUSA
Validated

Delina Filkins (née Ecker; 4 May 1815 – 4 December 1928) was an American supercentenarian who was the oldest validated person ever at the time of her death.

Biography

Filkins was born in a farmhouse in Stark, Herkimer County, New York on 4 May 1815. Her father was William Ecker. Both parents were of Dutch ancestry. Longevity was prevalent in her family, with her father living to be 97 and her mother to 78.

In 1826, Filkins quit school to work at home. In 1834, she married John Filkins, with whom she had six children. They ran a cheese-making business. John died in 1890.

On Filkins' 101st birthday, her eyesight and hearing were good. When she was 107 years old, she underwent an operation. On her 111th birthday, it was revealed that Filkins woke up every morning around 5:30 am, made her own bed, did other household chores, and read books. It was also mentioned that she used glasses to read,and that her hearing was worse than before. She claimed she didn’t have any secrets to her longevity.

Filkins' age led to her fame. Numerous newspaper articles, especially from 1925 to 1928, are in existence. Courted by both US candidates for President in the 1928 election, Delina became the oldest voter on record then, voting at age 113 in November 1928 (her record wasn't broken until 2008, when Gertrude Baines voted at age 114).

Towards the very end of her life, Filkins' health declined and she initially refused to become bedridden. She eventually was convinced to lie down. Filkins died on 4 December 1928, at the age of 113 years, 214 days.

Longevity Records

Filkins was the oldest living person in the world, as well as the oldest person to have ever lived, at the time of her death. She was the fifth validated supercentenarian in history, the second validated person to reach the age of 111, and the first validated person to reach the ages of 112 and 113.

Filkins became the oldest validated person ever when she tied the age of Louisa Thiers on 19 September 1926, and held the title until her own age was surpassed by Fannie Thomas on 15 November 1980. Her record stood for over 54 years, which is also a record for the longest time the "oldest person ever" title has been held.

References

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