Emma Kmet, the oldest living person in the U.S. state of Ohio, passed away in Strongsville on 9 July, at the age of 111 years, 159 days.
Emma Kmet was born in the Tremont area of Cleveland, Ohio, on 31 January 1915, to parents Suzanna and Paul Demian. Both of Emma’s parents were Slovakian. Emma graduated from Lincoln High School in Cleveland and commuted daily by bus to her job as a bookkeeper for an insurance company in downtown Cleveland.
In 1940, at a friend’s wedding, Emma met Ed Kmet, and they married on 20 November 1941, when she was 26. In 1953, the couple moved to North Royalton with their three children—Mary Louise, Edward, and Emmy. Throughout her adult life, Emma was an avid gardener and a dedicated member of the North Royalton Garden Club, where she served as president for many years. Her husband, Ed, was a director at Parma Hospital and ran for mayor of North Royalton in 1965. In addition to sewing, gardening, quilting, and baking delicate Slovak pastries, Emma had a passion for traveling and collecting.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Emma Kmet during this difficult time.
