Eva Morris

Infobox Person
name=Eva Morris


caption=Eva Morris at 114
birth_date=birth date|1885|11|8|df=y
birth_place= Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom
death_date = death date|2000|11|2|df=y aged age in years and days|1885|11|8|2000|11|2
death_place= Stone, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom
occupation=Domestic servant

Eva Morris née Sharpe (8 November 1885 – 2 November 2000) was the oldest recognized person in the world, by the Guinness Book of Records, [ [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=PI&s_site=philly&p_multi=PI&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB7368476E2281F&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM "Eva Morris, 114, World's Oldest Woman] , The Philadelphia Inquirer, 3 November 2000] [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,211754,00.html "The lively art of defying death"] , Ben De Pear, The Guardian, 19 April 2000] from December 1999 until November 2000. [ [http://www.grg.org/Adams/A.HTM " Chronological Listing Of All Supercentenarians"] , Gerontology Research Group, 17 February 2007] She was a native of Stone, Staffordshire, England.

Morris had become the oldest person in the UK following the passing of Annie Jennings (12 November 1884 - 20 November 1999), who died only eight days after turning 115. Morris, for her part, died in her sleep just six days short of her 115th birthday at the Autumn House Nursing Home in Stone. She was the last surviving person documented as born in 1885.

There had been claims that a Dominican woman, Elizabeth Israel, was 125 years old, but the Guinness Book of Records said Morris had taken the title because her date of birth could be fully authenticated.

Morris attributed her longevity to whisky and boiled onions. [http://archives.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/europe/UK/11/02/oldest.woman/index.html World's oldest woman dies in Britain"] , CNN, 2 November 2000] She was said by friends to enjoy the occasional cigarette and to have ridden a bicycle. [ [http://webs.ono.com/lallena/PAU/oldestwoman.doc "The World's Oldest Woman"] , University of Andalusia]

She worked as a domestic servant [ [http://www.independent.ie/world-news/world-digest-361869.html "Oldest woman dies"] , Neil Tweedie, Irish Independent, 3 November 2000] and was widowed in the 1930s. Morris lived in her own flat until she was 107, when she moved to a nursing home after a chest infection. Her only child Winnie died of cancer in 1975 at the age of 62.

She should not be confused with fellow supercentenarian Neva Morris.

ee also

* List of British supercentenarians
* List of the verified oldest people
* Longevity
* Oldest people
* Supercentenarian

References