Emma Kmet

BIOGRAPHY

Emma Kmet was born in the Tremont area of Cleveland, Ohio, USA, on 31 January 1915, to parents Suzanna and Paul Demian. Both of Emma’s parents were Slovakian. Her father owned a corner meat and grocery store before transitioning to furniture repair and refinishing for Cleveland’s high-end furniture stores. Her mother dedicated herself to raising Emma and her three sisters—Ellen, Elsie, and Selma.

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. Every Friday, she visited the beauty salon next to her workplace to have her hair done. The family was an active member of the American Slovak Sokol Camp on Royalwood Road in Broadview Heights.

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.

When asked about the secret of her longevity, she said: “Keep working. Don’t retire.”

RECOGNITION

Her age was verified by Eli Logan, and validated by LongeviQuest on 8 February 2025.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Emma Kmet celebrates 107th birthday” – Royalton Recorder, 8 February 2022

* “Happy 109th Birthday, Emma Kmet” – Royalton Recorder, 20 February 2024

* “Secrets to a long life? Ask 110-year-old Emma Kmet” – Cleveland.com, 5 February 2025

GALLERY

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