BIOGRAPHY

Bertha Massey was born in Lexington, South Carolina, United States, on 21 January 1897. She was the seventh of 15 children born to John, a farmer who was born into slavery, and his wife, Mary Ann, who worked as a traveling midwife. Her earliest memories were of attending church, from the five-mile journey with her family on a flat wagon, to the church service itself. Due to her mother’s job, she was frequently away, leading to Massey often cooking for her large family by the age of 12. The family was very self-sufficient, raising and growing everything they ate, from wheat and corn to chickens and goats, and wearing clothes that Massey sewed herself.

As a teenager, Massey grew bored and dissatisfied with her life on the farm, so when she was 17, she married her husband, and the couple moved to West Virginia before later separating after a few years. In 1929, she married for a second time, wedding Zacharus Massey, and the couple would have three children together. In the same year of her second marriage, she joined the Pentecostal Church, and would become ordained as a minister just two years later.

When she was in her 30s, she attended Moody’s Bible School in Chicago, Illinois, and later dedicated much of her life to her church, being appointed as a Pentecostal Bishop in 1971, where she served as the presiding state bishop of the states of Ohio., New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. In total, she worked and volunteered as a preacher for over 70 years, continuing to be active in her church community until she was 110. She attributed her longevity to her faith in God, and followed a skincare routine for over fifty years that involved her rubbing Noxzema cream on her face and arms.

Bertha Massey passed away in Dayton, Ohio, United States, on 5 May 2007, aged 110 years, 104 days.

RECOGNITION

Her age was verified by Jimmy Lindberg and Stefan Maglov, and was validated by LongeviQuest on 10 June 2024.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Pentecostal Flock Treasures 106-Year-Old Bishop” – Religion News Service, 1 January 2003

* “107-year-old preacher remains an influential member of movement” – Dayton Daily News, 1 February 2004

* “Marking birthday No. 108” – Dayton Daily News, 22 January 2005

* “Bertha Massey, 110, credits faith for longevity” – Dayton Daily News, 25 January 2007

GALLERY