Grace Louisa Spooner (née Sarle) was an American supercentenarian whose age has been validated by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) and recognised by LongeviQuest (LQ). She was the oldest person born in the state of Rhode Island upon her death.
Spooner was born as Grace Louisa Sarle in Glocester, Rhode Island on 5 July 1872 as the only daughter of Joseph and Mary Melissa Elizabeth (née Hopkins) Sarle. She had two brothers, Edgar and James.
Spooner married twice. Her first marriage in the 1910s was to a man named Curtis, they later divorced and were childless. On 22 October 1924, she married John Augustus Spooner in Warren, Massachusetts. The couple remained in Massachusetts, settling in New Bedford.
As a centenarian, Spooner moved to a nursing home in Suwannee, Florida. She would pray regularly, particularly at Thanksgiving and Christmas. She died on 24 July 1982 at the age of 110 years, 19 days.
Spooner’s only recognition for her longevity in her lifetime was in the Tallahassee Democrat aged 105. Her age was verified by the SSA Study and the Kestenbaum Study and later validated by the GRG.
