BIOGRAPHY

Maggie DeVane was born in Rex, North Carolina, USA, on 17 November 1905. She was the daughter of Henry and Nannie Johnson. Her father, Henry (1848–1916), was a former slave from Jackson, Mississippi, who served in the Civil War as a member of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) and was discharged in 1865 near Louisville, Kentucky. In her later years, she recalled little about him, but she remembered that her mother was Henry’s third wife. She grew up among 17 siblings and was the last surviving member of her immediate family. Her sister, Inez Womack of St. Pauls, lived to be 106 years old before passing away in 2014. In February 2009, the town of St. Pauls honored both Womack and DeVane as Centennial Queens during its 100th-anniversary celebration.

DeVane was married to Junious DeVane for 25 years until his death in 1991. She spent several years teaching third grade at what is now St. Pauls Elementary School and later served as secretary of the First Baptist Church in St. Pauls before retiring.

At 109 years old, it was reported that she had only been hospitalized once — for hip surgery in 2010, at the age of 105. Although she used a walker to get around, her hearing and vision remained remarkably strong. She attributed her longevity to a simple lifestyle, noting that she never drank alcohol, chewed tobacco, or engaged in similar habits. “I just have always done my best to do what I was supposed to do,” she said.

Maggie DeVane passed away in St. Pauls, North Carolina, on 12 September 2017, at the age of 111 years, 299 days.

RECOGNITION

Her age has not been validated.

ATTRIBUTION

* “109 years old and counting” – The Robesonian, 20 July 2015

* Maggie L. Devane – McKoy & Sons Mortuary (Saint Pauls NC)

* Death mention – Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War

GALLERY