BIOGRAPHY

Caroline Mary Merrill was born in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, USA, on 29 October 1914, to parents George and Bertha Bessex (née Lewis). She grew up in Ardmore and graduated from Lower Merion High School in 1934. She remained there after she married her husband Charles Merrill (1909–2000) in 1940, with whom she had two children, Carol and Charles David Merrill.

Throughout her life, she worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse with geriatric patients along the Main Line for nearly 20 years. She remained an active member of the Zion Baptist Church of Ardmore—the same church her great-grandmother helped found. Later, she bought a home on Chestnut Avenue, just three doors down from her parents. After her children graduated from college, she spent 11 years as a daycare assistant at St. Mary’s Church on Ardmore Avenue. Her husband of nearly 60 years passed away in 2000.

Merrill loved traveling, even into her centenarian years. At 101, she spent over two weeks in Fresno, California, a month in Abilene, Texas, and then two weeks exploring Brussels and Antwerp in Belgium, followed by Barcelona, Spain. At 103, she embarked on yet another trip to Europe.

When asked about her secret to a long life, her answer was simple: love. “Love life… love one another. Be kind to people.”

RECOGNITION

Her age was verified by Eli Logan, and validated by LongeviQuest on 8 November 2024.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Lower Merion woman celebrates 104 years” – 6abc, 30 October 2018

* “Community helps celebrate 106th birthday for life-long Ardmore resident” – Main Line Times & Suburban, 23 September 2021

* “Woman enjoys life at her own pace as she turns 108 ” – The Philadelphia Tribune, 25 November 2022

* “Montgomery County’s oldest resident celebrates her 109th birthday” – Fox 29, 27 October 2023

GALLERY