Small was born in Paris, New York, USA, on 1 April 1908, to parents Ernest Smith and Elizabeth Marshall. She had three younger sisters: Alice, Edna, and Edith. She was raised on the family farm in Paris, where she attended the one-room school up to the eighth grade. Later, she completed high school in Waterville, New York.
In 1927, she graduated from the Eastman School of Dental Hygiene in Rochester. She briefly worked as a dental hygienist, but her job came to an end due to the Great Depression, when people could no longer afford dental care.
In 1941, she married Carlton Wilfred Small. The couple had two children: Marion Wegener and Glenn Small. The family moved to New Milford, Pennsylvania, where she would live for the next 70 years. Her husband passed away in 1969, aged 61.
Small was very active in the community, particularly in the United Methodist Church, the Eastern Star, and she served as the town librarian in New Milford for over 30 years. At the age of 102, she stopped driving and relocated to an independent living apartment at Good Shepherd Village in Endwell.
Small passed away in Endwell, New York, USA, on 20 March 2019, at the age of 110 years, 353 days. She was survived by her two children, six grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.
Her age was validated by LongeviQuest on 28 October 2023.
* “Obituary of Goldie M. Small” – JA McCormack Sons Funeral Home Inc
* “Local woman celebrates 110th birthday” – WIVT, 30 March 2018