Supercentenarian Profile

Violet Smith

Born:

1902-04-07

Saginaw, Michigan

United States

Died:

2012-08-29

Midland, Michigan

United States

✔ Age Certified by LongeviQuest

Violet Smith (née Plaga) was an American supercentenarian.

BIOGRAPHY

Violet Smith was born in Saginaw, Michigan, USA, on 7 April 1902, to parents Robert Plaga (1862–1956) and Mary Margaretha Schwan (1870–1917). Her father and maternal grandparents were all born in Germany. She had four siblings, including Robert (1892–1925), Myrtle (1893–1996), and Lucilia Ruth (1895–1895). She grew up as Violet Plaga on Mason Street in Saginaw and attended Eastern Michigan University for two years to study to become a teacher. At the time, many young women took teaching jobs in Detroit because the pay was better, but Violet did not want to move there. Instead, she took a position teaching kindergarten in Lansing.

In 1930, she married Louis Edwin Smith (1904–1976). After she married her husband, she had to give up her teaching career. The couple eventually settled in Detroit, where they raised three children—two sons and a daughter. Violet later said that she had hoped to have another daughter.

Upon her husband’s retirement, the couple moved to Midland in 1971, where one of their sons lived. Her husband died in 1976. After his death, Violet’s children wanted her to live with them, so she divided her time between their homes, staying with each of them for six months at a time.

Violet Smith passed away in Midland, Michigan, on 29 August 2012, at the age of 110 years, 144 days. She was survived by her son, Richard, her daughter, Marjorie, as well as five grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.