Louise Godejohann (née Lubben) was an American supercentenarian whose age has been validated by LongeviQuest. At the time of her death, she might have been the world's oldest living woman.
Godejohann was born as Louise Lubben in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, on 31 December 1849. Her parents were Herman Henry Lubben and Mary Melcher (1822–1909). She had one younger brother, Henry Herman (1855–1917). Her father passed away in 1863, and her mother remarried Casper Godejohann (1821–1882) in 1865. Casper had one son from his previous marriage, William, and they were both immigrants from Prussia.
In 1871, she married her stepbrother, William Godejohann (1849–1930) in Belleville, Illinois. The couple had four children, including Alvin (1872–1941), Omar (1873–1875) and Louise ‘’Lulu’’ Norby. In 1873, the family moved to Olney, Illinois. Her husband would end up becoming a successful cigar manufacturer. Her husband passed away on 9 January 1930.
In 1950, she received a letter from President Harry S. Truman, congratulating her on her 100th birthday. As a centenarian, she was still a devoted member of the First Presbyterian church of Olney but was unable to attend services due to poor hearing. She claimed to have no ‘’special formula’’ for her longevity. At the age of 108, she lived with her last surviving child, Louise Norby.
Godejohann passed away in the Richland Memorial Hospital in Olney, Illinois, USA, on 30 June 1960.
On 27 May 1960, following the death of 110-year-old Eliza Taylor of Michigan (who was 15 days older than Louise based on her claim), she became the oldest known living woman in the world. At the time of death, she was the second-oldest living person in the world, after Robert Alexander Early (8 October 1849 – 9 October 1960) of Kentucky.
Her age was verified by Jimmy Lindberg and Daniel Gonik, and validated by LongeviQuest on 26 May 2023.
* “Louise Lubben Godejohann” – FindAGrave
* “Henry Herman Lubben” – FindAGrave
* “William GODEJOHANN” – Genealogy Trails
* “Former Local Woman Passes 104th Birthday” – Belleville Daily Advocate, 13 January 1954
* “Olney Woman Marks 107th Birthday” – Evansville Courier and Press, 1 January 1957
* “Olney Woman is 108 Today, Shuns Publicity” – Herald and Review, 31 December 1957
* “Mrs. Godejohann, Oldest Person of This Area Dies” – Daily Republican-Register, 1 July 1960
