BIOGRAPHY

Onley was born in Maryland, USA, on 18 June 1914. She grew up in Knoxville, living with her parents and nine siblings, some of whom passed away young. At the age of eight, she entered the third grade, marking her first time attending school, which was a mile away from her home. Within a few days, her teacher recognized her intelligence and moved her up to the fourth grade. However, when winter arrived and the harsh mountain snow made it impossible for Onley to walk to school, she stopped attending. When spring came, she didn’t return. She had responsibilities at home, and education was not a priority.

As a teenager, she left home to work as a housekeeper for various families, taking her from Knoxville to Silver Spring to Jefferson. Around age 20, Onley moved to Frederick and took a job at Bennett’s on Market Street. A few years later, she met her husband. After getting married, she had four children in four years: Mary, Robert, John, and Jane.

In 1967, she bought her first home for $11,500. At 106 years old, she still lived in that same house. She continued cooking for her family well into her 90s.

When asked about the secret of her longevity, she always attributed it first to God for keeping her, and then to her family for always being so good to her. She received a Governor’s Citation in honor of her 110th birthday.

RECOGNITION

Her age was verified by Fabrizio Villatoro and Stefan Maglov, and validated by LongeviQuest on 26 June 2024.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Ruth Onley celebrates 106th birthday with car parade” – The Frederick News-Post, 21 June 2020

* “Frederick, Md. woman celebrates 110th birthday, credits family and faith for her long life” – ABC 33/40, 19 June 2024

GALLERY