BIOGRAPHY

Dickey was born in Yoncalla, Oregon, USA, on 18 February 1906. Her father owned 20 acres on the far side of Priest River, which was her home until she was 7 years old. The family, including a younger brother and sister, then moved to Spokane. With the onset of World War I, her father took on a job washing dishes in a café. At the age of 12, she herself found employment at the same restaurant. She recounted having no memories of playing with other children or enjoying good times with friends. Subsequently, she took on the role of managing household chores for Dr. Semple, a general practitioner. Even in her elderly years, she could recall tending to his house, cooking meals for his family, and ensuring his children were ready for bed at night.

In 1921, at the age of 15, she married Roy Dickey, and the couple had three children. Her husband was 15 years her senior. They moved to Chehalis, Washington, where she tended to various animals including chickens, ducks, and geese.

Dickey and her family moved to Lewiston Orchards during the 1960s. Her husband passed away at the age of 80, but she chose to remain there following his passing. Upon returning to the region, she resided for over 20 years in the Airway Heights area with her daughter, Rita. In 2011, she moved into Cheney Care Center for rehabilitation following a hip fracture, but remained there after Rita succumbed to cancer.

On her 110th birthday in 2016, she garnered significant media attention following an interview. When asked by Nichole Mischke, the KHQ correspondent, how she was feeling, she replied, “I am tired. I take a nap as many times as I can.” Additionally, when asked about the secret of her longevity, she responded, “I don’t know, I don’t fight it. I live it.”

Dickey passed away in Cheney, Washington, USA, on 23 November 2016, at the age of 110 years, 279 days. She was survived by 12 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, and 15 great-great-grandchildren.

RECOGNITION

At the time of her passing, she was the second-oldest (known) living person in the U.S. state of Washington, after Molly Schmidt.

Her age was verified by Stefan Maglov and Jimmy Lindberg, and validated by LongeviQuest on 19 February 2024.

ATTRIBUTION

* Florence Louise “Flossie” Norton Dickey – Find A Grave

* “Life spent working for a living” – Cheney Free Press, 27 March 2014

* “Cheney woman joins ranks of ‘supercentenarians’ on Thursday” – The Spokesman-Review, 17 February 2016

* “SEE IT: Whiskey-swigging Washington centenarian ‘could not have been less thrilled’ to be interviewed on her 110th birthday” – New York Daily News, 20 February 2016

* “Whiskey and nap loving American hero Flossie Dickey dies at 110” – OregonLive.com, 25 November 2016

GALLERY