Lale was born on the family farm located four and a half miles east of Odessa in Lafayette County, Missouri, USA, on 10 March 1905. Her parents were Thomas Newman Lale (1867–1949) and Nellie Doty Lale (1881–1961). She had one sister, Mildred Florence Lale. Between 1913 and 1919, she attended Rural Weaver School and then completed her high school education in Odessa. She subsequently pursued her higher education at Missouri Valley College before transferring during her junior year to Kansas State Agricultural College, where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics.
In 1951, she moved to Louisville, where she lived with family members. She never smoked and never drank alcohol. She served as a research associate for the published genealogy “The Lagle/Lale Family in America,” contributing the chapter titled “Kentucky to Missouri, 1858.” Additionally, she dedicated her time as a volunteer at the Word and Work Book Store and was an active member of the Church of Christ in both Odessa and Louisville.
Lale passed away in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, on 20 May 2015, at the age of 110 years, 71 days.
Her age was verified by Fabrizio Villatoro, and validated by LongeviQuest on 12 October 2023.
* “Ms. Edith Lale | Age 106” – University of Louisville, 2012
* “Edith Leora Lale” – Legacy, 2015
* “Edith Leora Lale” – Find A Grave