WORTHINGTON, Ohio (AP) -- America's oldest person, a 114-year-old woman who voted in every election since women earned the right in 1920 and had the thinnest file in her doctor's office, has died.

Verona Johnston died Wednesday at home in Worthington, said her daughter, Julie Johnson.

"She just wore out," Johnson said. "She was still very sharp up until a few months ago."

Johnson said her mother was "ready to go," and that shortly before her death she said: "Dying is hard, but everyone has to do it, and I hope I do it well."

Johnston moved to Ohio at age 98 to live with Johnson and her husband, both in their 80s.

She was born August 6, 1890, in Indianola, Iowa. She was the eighth of nine children born to Civil War veteran Joseph Calhoun and Emma Speer Calhoun.

Johnston voted in every election since women earned the right in 1920, even casting an absentee ballot in November.

Relatives said Johnston lived a wholesome life, rarely visited doctors and never used the deductible on her health insurance policy. The secretary at her doctor's office said Johnston had the thinnest file on record.

Johnston attended Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she studied Latin and graduated in 1912. At the time, tuition was $54 per year.

Johnston taught Latin in high schools across Iowa. She married Harry Johnston, an Iowa physician who died in 1970.

After her husband's death, Johnston traveled across Europe, taking detailed notes to share with friends when she returned.

Johnson said her mother enjoyed books, and read large-print books with a magnifying glass until she had to switch to books on tape.

Johnston's survivors include four children, 13 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.

The oldest living American is now Bettie Wilson of Mississippi, and Hendrikje van Andel of the Netherlands is the world's oldest person, according to the Gerontology Research Group. Both are 114.

Van Andel was born June 29, 1890, and Wilson was born on September 13 in that year.


http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/12/03/obit.johnston.ap/index.html

Wow...that's pretty amazing if you ask me.

Thing with these articles is that, it's the same old story everytime an old person dies.

She was..., He was..., Now he is the oldest man,... Now the oldest man is dead..., the second oldest is now the oldest, but he died ten minutes after, so the then third oldest person is now the oldest, but for how long? Not very long. Stay tuned for more deaths!

You see? It is very, very frustrating to keep track of these deaths.

Yea, I get what you mean, but she was from Ohio. There's reason to post it right there... :wink: And she voted in every election since women received the right to vote. I thought that was pretty cool.

Oh, I know, I didn't mean to take anything away from this thread at all (sorry if that was the impression). I'm just frustrated about this topic being so confusing.

Man, I need sleep. I don't think I'm thinking straight.

Maybe I'm getting too old...

It seems like every week we hear about an oldest person in the world or the country dying. When will this wave of tragedy end, it's just one after another of these oldest people kicking the bucket. :?

Yes I'm being silly, don't take it literally.

I know!

We need to sto being passive, and start working on preventing these deaths.

I think the article is very interesting Chris!!!

114 years.. that's still 8 years younger than the oldest person ever, Jeanne Louise Calment of France was 122 when she died in 1997.

She saw the Eiffel Tower being built (and was, just like every other good citizen of France, convinced that it would be an utter failure). She also lived with Vincent van Gogh for a year! Amazing really..

114.....pretty damn old. i hope i live that long

She voted in every election since 1920...except in the past three she's voted for Herbert Hoover. -Conan O'Brien

This is how my great-grandmother is getting, sadly. She was fine, until a few months ago. I hope she's better now.

thats so wierd... the lady's daughter could have been 90+, too.

Mandelbaum! Mandlebaum! Mandelbaum!

Seinfeld reference.

Actually "the oldest American is dead" is a wrong statement, since once the person is dead there is another "oldest American". heh

Personally, I don't think I'd even want to get that old.

Me too. I can't imagine how saggy the poor ladies breasts got.

Did you have to give me that mental image?! :x

Why not go for the full effect, eh?

So who is the oldest person now?

btw, thats an amazing age, almost 6 times my age

It's gotta be Mr. Burns. That guy is old.

I hate ya!

It's just... so wrong, isn't it?

Very much so

PERV!