Mamie Eva Keith

Mamie Eva Walter Keith (March 22, 1873 – September 20, 1986) was an American supercentenarian and the oldest recognized person in the world from February 21, 1986 until her death seven months later in the Winchester House nursing home, Libertyville, Illinois. Keith was a teacher in an elementary school in Anna, Illinois, where she was born.^[1]

Keith, who lived in Illinois,^[2] succeeded the now disputed Shigechiyo Izumi of Japan, and was included in the Guinness Book of Records 1987 edition. She became the world's oldest living woman in December 1985, when 113-year-old Ollie Bay died in Illinois. Keith was the last person to become 'world's oldest' at 112 years of age, having been a month shy of 113 in February 1986. Despite claims of other people being older, 23 years of research have so far failed to identify anyone older (for the February 1986 – September 1986 period) whose age can be verified, although the claim of 115 year old Augusta Holtz is now pending, with evidence as being born in August 1871, and lived to October 1986, outliving Keith. She lived for 113 years 182 days.^[3]

Keith's father was a veteran of the American Civil War, where he served under Gen. William T. Sherman. Keith is said to have remembered hearing the news of Custer's Last Stand, a battle fought when she was three years old.^[1]

See also

• Oldest people
• Supercentenarian

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Mamie Keith, 113, ex-teacher, daughter of Civil War veteran", Chicago Sun-Times, September 23, 1986
2. ^ "Oldest people", Bionity.com, 2007^{[unreliable source?]}
3. ^ "Table A, Chronologically", Gerontology Research Group, February 17, 2007

External links

• Guinness Book of Records, 1987 edition

Preceded by Shigechiyo Izumi (disputed)	Oldest recognized living person February 21, 1986 – September 20, 1986	Succeeded by Mary McKinney
Preceded by Ollie Bay	Oldest recognized living woman December 31?, 1985 – September 20, 1986

Persondata
Name	Keith, Mamie Eva
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	March 22, 1873
Place of birth
Date of death	September 20, 1986
Place of death