Halie Forstner

BIOGRAPHY

Forstner was born in Dade County, Georgia, USA, on 28 March 1911, to parents Garrett Lee and Minnie Nicholas Gass. Her family moved to Chattanooga in 1920, where she attended Lookout Junior High. She later attended Chattanooga High School, where she won academic awards, appeared in school plays, and served as the school reporter for the Chattanooga Times. Although she hoped to attend college, she was unable to afford enrollment at the University of Chattanooga. Forstner worked for many years at the Chattanooga Medicine Company and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).

At some point, she married Charles Forstner, with whom she shared 52 years of marriage until his death in 1990. A devoted member of Lookout Valley Presbyterian Church EPC, she served as an elder and held offices in the Women’s Ministries. She also actively volunteered with the YWCA, the Heart Association, and the Crippled Children’s Association.

In 2016, she was named an honorary graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and was recognized by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam as a “Tennessee Treasure.” She maintained her independence well into her later years, continuing to drive and attend church regularly at the age of 105. At the age of 103, she experienced severe intestinal pain and underwent surgery. At 107, she broke her hip and spent several months in a rehabilitation facility.

Forstner passed away at Morning Pointe Assisted Living Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA, on 15 July 2021, at the age of 110 years, 109 days.

RECOGNITION

Her age has not been validated.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Chattanooga’s Halie Forstner passes away at the age of 110” – Chattanooga Radio & TV

* “Halie Forstner Vividly Remembers Spanish Flu That Almost Took Her Father” – Chattanoogan.com, 29 January 2021

* “109-year-old Halie Forstner gets COVID-19 vaccine in Chattanooga” – Local 3 News, 29 January 2021

* “Forstner, Halie Gass” – Chattanoogan.com, 15 July 2021

GALLERY

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