BIOGRAPHY

Farris-Luse was born in Broomfield Township, Isabella County, Michigan, USA, on 21 February 1887 (claimed 21 January), as the last of three children born to parents Franklin Chester Davis (1857–1920) and Adella Polly Jenkins (1863–1950). Her older siblings were: Jay Monroe Davis (1882–1919) and Imoma May Boyer (1885–1958).

On 27 June 1903, she married Jason Farris (1878–1951) in Steuben, Indiana. Her husband was a farmer. The couple initially lived in Angola, Indiana. The couple had six children (or seven, according to some reports): Charley Farris (1905–1987), Esther Pierce (1907–1935), Walter Warren Farris (1908–1913), Clair Wayne Ferris (1911–1988), Dale Farris (1913–1986) and Lucille Bull (1928–2003). In 1923, the family moved to Coldwater, Michigan. During the course of her life, she worked as a clerk in a factory, a hotel maid, and a baker.

In September 1951, her husband passed away at the age of 72. A year later, on 25 September 1952, she remarried to Walter Frederick Luse (1881–1959).

As of 1990, she had 26 grandchildren, 85 great-grandchildren, 65 great-great-grandchildren, and one great-great-great-grandchild. She lived independently until 1991, when she fell at her house and broke her hip, at the age of 104. She lived the rest of her life in the Laurels nursing home in Coldwater. Relatives claimed how it wasn’t until she turned 110 that she started becoming less aware of her surroundings. On her 115th birthday, she was not able to see of hear the visitors, or understand what was happening.

Farris-Luse passed away in Coldwater, Michigan, USA, on 18 March 2002, at the age of 115 years, 25 days (claimed 115 years, 56 days).

RECOGNITION

On 15 September 2000, at the age of 113 years, 207 days, she surpassed the final age of Mary Kelly (1851–1964), thus becoming the oldest person ever born in the U.S. state of Michigan.

On 6 June 2001, following the death of 115-year-old Marie Brémont of France, she became the world’s oldest living person, at the age of 114 years, 105 days.

Farris-Luse held the record of being the oldest person to pass away in the U.S. state of Michigan until June 18, 2014, when her final age was surpassed by Jeralean Talley.

Age revalidation

On June 6, 2001, the Gerontology Research Group validated her birthdate as January 21, 1887, which was her claimed birthdate. However, in August 2023, after reviewing documentation discovered by Jimmy Lindberg, the Global Validation Commission reached the conclusion that Farris-Luse was probably a month younger, born on February 21, 1887.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Maude (Davis) Farris (1887 – 2002)” – WikiTree

* “Maud Davis Farris-Luse” – FindAGrave

* “Guinness checks if woman is world’s oldest” – The South Bend Tribune, 12 June 2001

* “World’s oldest person dies at 115” – The Star Press, 20 March 2002

GALLERY