George Rother (16 February 1911 - fl. 16 February 2017) was a Tanzanian-born American centenarian.
Biography
George Rother was born in the former German colony of Muansa, East Africa, current Tanzania region on 16 February 1911. His father was responsible for developing the cotton trade industry in German East Africa. During World War I, his family was separated into two different internment camps by the English as the Rothers were German nationals. His father was sent to Ahmednagar and a four-year-old Rother, his mother and siblings went to Belgaum, more than 300 miles apart from each other in British-controlled India. They were freed from the women's camp after four years, but his father was interned for more than seven. Upon the family's return to Germany, Rother lived and attended school in Wittstock and then Coburg. His father went into banking as the German economy, and the elder Rother eventually became the president of the Coburg Bank. Rother came to the United States in 1931 on a six-month visa to visit his sister Evelyn and her family in Hartford, Connecticut.
Rother lived for four years in Hartford, working as a bookkeeper for his brother-in-law. He also attended Trinity College at night. Rother then moved to Manhattan, living on 77th Street near the Museum of Natural History, and took a job with the Fitshurman Optical Glass Co. Soon after, Rother met Josephine, a nurse from Brooklyn who took a child psychology course in Germany and lived with family friends of Rother's. Once Josephine returned, the friends passed on her phone number, suggesting Rother call on her. He did. One year later, they were married at New York City Hall in the spring of 1941. The couple lived in Elmhurst, Long Island, and Queens, later moving to Plainfield and Cherry Hill. He remembers the best car he ever had was a two-door Plymouth Fury with black and red upholstery.
George Rother was last reported to be alive on his 106th birthday on 16 February 2017 when he lived in Arbor Glen, Bridgewater, New Jersey, United States[1]. George Rother is currently oldest known man ever born in Tanzania.