Major McDonald

BIOGRAPHY

Major Jewel McDonald was born on 1 November 1915 in Winston County, Mississippi, United States, one of thirteen children raised by a single mother. He spent his early life in rural conditions and later described the family’s limited resources, including reliance on a mule and wagon for transportation. Several members of his family were noted for their longevity, including multiple sisters who reached 100 or more, and a grandfather reportedly recorded as living to 106.

In 1941, McDonald moved to Ohio during the Great Migration, seeking employment and leaving the segregated environment of Mississippi. He lived in the Cleveland area and worked for the Kroger Company until his retirement. In 1982, he returned to Louisville, Mississippi, where he spent much of his retirement fishing, particularly on the Tombigbee River.

McDonald married twice and had six children in total, including a son born when he was in his eighties, as well as a stepson.

RECOGNITION

His age was verified by Eli Logan and Tamás Bényei, and validated by LongeviQuest on 10 December 2025.

On 24 July 2026, following the passing of 111-year-old Ed Martin of Florida, McDonald became the oldest known living man in the United States.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Louisville man lives to see 108 years around the sun” – WCBI, 19 February 2024

GALLERY

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