BIOGRAPHY

Lucas was born in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, USA, on 6 April 1909, to parents Martin Antal (1877–1962) and Agnes Golema (1880–1981). Her father was born in present-day Slovakia, and her mother was born in Kraków, present-day Poland. Her father was a coal miner, and he lost his first wife when she gave birth to their second child. Her mother was a mail-order bride. Lucas had ten siblings, including: Anna Elizabeth Cernicky (paternal half-sister; 1900–1990), Helen Bassar (paternal half-sister; 1902–1996), Mary Carolyn Leonard (1906–1994), Pauline Antal (1907–1990), Martin Antal (1912–1989), John Stephen Antal (1914–1993), Sophie Nusser (1917–1999), Stephen Antal (1919–1999), Stella Trenk (1921–2014), and Joseph Antal (1924–2016). The family lived in a two-story, two-bedroom frame house, with all of the children sharing a single bedroom. She left school after completing the sixth grade. At the age of 13, a priest began taking her and other girls from the neighborhood to Pittsburgh to work as cleaners for wealthy individuals during the week. She would return home via trolley every Friday, giving her small pay to her mother to help with expenses.

On 12 February 1936, she married Walter Edward Lucas (1910–1997), who worked in Monessen for Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp. The couple had three children: Dorothy Duessel, Walter, and Robert.

Lucas was a devout Catholic who regularly attended St. Sebastian Church and later participated in Sunday worship services at the nursing home. At the age of 106, she had four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. In 2005, she moved into a nursing home.

Lucas passed away of complications related to COVID-19 in Steubenville, Ohio, USA, on 15 December 2020.

RECOGNITION

Her age was verified by Fabrizio Villatoro, and validated by LongeviQuest on 31 October 2023.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Century Club: At 106, Elizabeth Lucas’ roots run deep in Belle Vernon” – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 7 April 2015

* “Elizabeth Ann Antal Lucas” – Find A Grave

* “Obituary for Elizabeth Lucas” – Mosti Funeral Homes

GALLERY