BIOGRAPHY

Hyde was born as Mabel Isola Coughenour in Gallipolis, Ohio, as the daughter of William and Mary Coughenour. In her youth, she lived in Illinois and Kansas.

On 19 May 1887, Hyde married her husband, Eugene, in McPherson County, Kansas; the couple had at least three sons. The family were among the first non-Native American settlers of the Oklahoma Territory upon its opening in 1889.

In later life, Hyde relocated to Fresno, California. She would still go salmon fishing in the Sacramento River aged 99, and, as a centenarian, she was an avid fan of the San Francisco Giants baseball team.

Hyde died on 13 August 1975 at the age of 111 years, 112 days.

RECOGNITION

Hyde may have become California’s oldest resident following the death of 111-year-old Ettie Crist on 10 January 1974. Upon her passing, she was likely succeeded by Teresa Locke.

At the time of death, Hyde was the second-oldest person in the United States and the third-oldest in the world, after Bittlebrun and Niwa Kawamoto of Japan, whose age has been validated.

Hyde’s age was validated by LongeviQuest in October 2023.

ATTRIBUTION

• The Telegraph, May 20, 1963

• Toledo Blade, April 23, 1964

• Hillsboro Press Gazette, August 18, 1975

GALLERY