Supercentenarian Profile

Mary West

Born:

1903-10-23

Howard, Missouri

United States

Died:

2014-02-03

Batavia, Illinois

United States

Mary West (née Buford) was an American supercentenarian.

BIOGRAPHY

Mary West was born in Howard, Missouri, on 23 October 1903. West grew up in Fayette, Missouri, a small town near Kansas City, where her parents owned and operated a dry goods store. She completed high school in nearby Marshall, went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Missouri Valley College in Marshall, and later received a master’s degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign. She never married and did not have children.

In 1981, eleven years after retiring, West moved to The Holmstad Senior Living Facility in Batavia. When asked about the secret to her longevity, West often credited the simple habit of eating an apple a day.

Mary West passed away in Batavia, Illinois, on 3 February 2014, at the age of 110 years, 103 days.