1913 Archives

LongeviQuest is pleased to announce the age validation of Alfred Fregosi of the United States at age 110. He was born in San Francisco, California, United States on 11 September 1913 to Italian-immigrant parents. Fregosi excelled academically and athletically at Balboa High, participating in both baseball and soccer. After marrying in 1944, they settled in San Mateo, California. The couple shared a love for travel, spending winters in Hawaii. Fregosi’s personal interests included golfing and gardening.

Alfred Fregosi’s 1932 high school yearbook photo.
(Source: Balboa High School)

Following in his family’s footsteps, he took over their business, J. Fregosi and Son Florist, running it for several decades until retirement. Beyond the flower shop, Fregosi’s diverse career included playing baseball for a city league team, working at Bank of America, and serving in the Navy during World War II on Okinawa. Fregosi was recognized in his later years for being one of the oldest military veterans in the United States.

Alfred Fregosi passed away on 19 November 2023, at his home in San Mateo, California, aged 110 years, 69 days. He is survived by his daughters and grandchildren. At the time of his death, he was one of the oldest living men in the United States.

LongeviQuest congratulates Alfred Fregosi’s family on her posthumous recognition.

For more information, please view Fregosi’s Directory Profile here.

LongeviQuest is saddened to report the passing of Huang Decheng. Huang Decheng (Traditional Chinese: 黃德成) was born in the Empire of Japan (now Taiwan) on 14 November 1913 (according to his ID card). He passed away in Sanhe Village, Shuishang Township, Chiayi County, Taiwan on 20 November 2023 at the age of 110 years, 6 days.

Huang Decheng on his 108th birthday (claimed East Asian 110th birthday) in 2021
(Source: Gerontology Wiki)

Though official records indicate 14 November 1913 as his birth date, Huang Decheng asserts to have been 2 years older. If the date of birth on the ID is correct, he was 110 years, 6 days old at the time of his passing. He explains this discrepancy by stating that his family waited to register him due to concerns about infant mortality.

LongeviQuest is pleased to announce that Montreal, Canada has a new supercentenarian. Maria Lacasse has recently celebrated her 110th birthday, surrounded by her family and friends. It was shared that Lacasse is confident that she will blow out the candles not only for her 111th birthday but also for her 112th. Despite her impressive age, she has not lost any of her lucidity.

Maria Lacasse 110th Birthday Celebration
(Source: https://www.tvanouvelles.ca/2023/12/04/elle-celebre-son-110e-anniversaire-et-revele-le-secret-de-sa-longevite)

Maria Lacasse was born in Chertsey, Lanaudière, Canada on 4 December 1913. Lacasse’s caretakers describe her as a joy to work with, always smiling and eager to help, despite the demanding nature of their job. They spend almost more time with her than with their own families. Lacasse surprisingly claims that her bad temper is actually the key to her long life. To live a long time, she says, you need to be “uncomfortable.”

LongeviQuest is delighted to announce that Campania, Italy’s second-oldest living woman turned 110. Zappone celebrated her birthday by achieving a new milestone: becoming the 22nd longest-lived woman in Italy. On her special day, Zappone was surrounded by loved ones and well-wishers from the community. Mayor Ruggiero spoke movingly, noting that her 110 candles represent the deep affection held for the elderly. He extended a special wish to this “beautiful lady,” who continues to share her wisdom and values.

Vittoria Zappone’s 110th Birthday Celebration
(Source: https://www.irpinianews.it/nonna-vittoria-di-mirabella-eclano-compie-110-anni/)

Vittoria Zappone was born in Mirabella Eclano, Avellino, Campania Region, Italy on 4 December 1913. She was a former seamstress, a wife, and a mother to two children. She continues to share the warmth of family and the enduring wisdom gleaned from a life well lived.

LongeviQuest is pleased to announce the age validation of Alfonso María Rojas Perdomo at 110 years old. He is the first Colombian supercentenarian from the Department of Huila whose age has been validated.

Alfonso was born on 31 May 1913 in Palermo, Huila, Colombia.

His family was forced to relocate to the Vereda “La Primavera” in Santa Maria, Huila, to avoid the violent conflict between the liberal and conservative parties of the Colombian politics. There, he acquired rural land with his brother and focused on agricultural and livestock work.

In April 1984, aged 71.
(Photo courtesy of the family)

Alfonso was married on 12 May 1951 to María Luz Dussán Mejía and had eight children with her.

At age 110, he is in good health and remains lucid. He is currently residing in Santa Maria, Huila, Colombia.

For more information, please visit Alfonso María Rojas Perdomo’s Directory Profile here.

LongeviQuest is pleased to announce the age validation of Aiko Ōkubo at 110 years old. She was a Japanese supercentenarian born on 28 January 1913 in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.

In 1934, she was married to a technical civil engineering officer from the Ministry of Home Affairs (now the Home Ministry of Japan). She had four children with him.

In 1938, the family travelled across the sea to live in Manchuria, Northeastern China, which was a puppet state of the Japanese empire. Aside from enduring extreme temperatures during winter, the family also had to endure too many hardships such as their 20 km walk to Dashiqiao. They even got bundled into a freight train going north wherein they jump off the train because they don’t know where they are going. After a long, perilous journey in China, the family managed to get into a boat bound for Japan. They arrived at Maizuru City, Kyoto Prefecture, in June 1946.

Aiko tried to return to her hometown in Mito but found it completely burned down. On the other hand, her husband’s family was safe and unharmed, and so he inherited his family’s construction business.

In August 2014, aged 101.
(Source: ibjcp.gr.jp)

Aiko travelled around Japan to visit nursing homes and give talks about her experiences. She would also play her Nagoya harp for them. Aiko did this until she was 104 years old.

Mrs. Ōkubo was proud that she was able to raise fine and well-rounded children despite the hardships that they had to go through in China. One became a university professor, the other became a doctor, and the third managed a private elderly care facility.

Mrs. Ōkubo passed away on 22 September 2023 in Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.

For more information, please visit Aiko Ōkubo’s Directory Profile here.

LongeviQuest is pleased to share the age validation of Hisayo Nobuyasu at 110 years old.

She is a Japanese supercentenarian born on 5 March 1913 in Japan.

On 16 September 2023, she became the oldest living person in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, after Tokie Nakayama passed away.

Hisayo currently resides in Sera, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.

For more information, please visit Hisayo Nobuyasu’s Directory Profile here.

LongeviQuest is pleased to announce the age validation of Ichi Kubota at 110 years old. She is a Japanese supercentenarian known as the oldest living person in Iwate Prefecture.

Ichi Kubota was born on 30 May 1913 in the village of Tarō, Iwate Prefecture, Japan.
At the age of 21, she was married and had eight children with him.
Until she was around the age of 70, she helped with operating a dry cleaning shop owned by her husband and son. After retiring, she devoted her time to gateball, practicing two times a day.

On her 110th birthday in 2023.
(Source: NHK)

In September 2020, she received a special visit from the city’s mayor and was recognized as the seventh-oldest living person in the prefecture at that time. Subsequently, the mayor has continued to visit her annually, marking four consecutive visits as of September 2023.
Ichi currently resides in Miyako, Iwate Prefecture, Japan.

For more information, please visit Ichi Kubota’s Directory Profile here.

LongeviQuest is pleased to announce the age validation of Hanako Ishii of Japan at age 110. She was born in Emi Village, Awa District, Chiba Prefecture, Japan on 7 May 1913. Ishii was the middle child of three. Her family ran a tofu shop. After graduating from high school, she got a job at a general company and worked there until she got married.

Ishii married at the age of 39 and had her son the following year. Her husband passed away a year later, leaving her to raise her young son as a single mother. She moved back in with her parents and utilized her dressmaking skills to start a dressmaking class for young girls in the neighborhood. After that, she dedicated herself to household duties and childcare. She continued to take daily walks to maintain her health well into her 70s.

Ishii (right) in 1981, aged 68.
(Source: Courtesy of the family)

At the age of 100, Ishii moved into a nursing home. Despite losing most of her eyesight due to cataracts and glaucoma at the age of 100, Ishii remained remarkably independent, able to eat, walk, and care for herself with the support of her family. She loved the lively atmosphere of her home, where she spent her days surrounded by her smiling relatives. She was an easygoing eater, enjoying everything her niece prepared, with a particular fondness for mackerel eggs and pumpkin. Her family credited her longevity to her calm and peaceful nature.

In September 2021, Ishii was reported as the oldest living woman in the Awa region. Ishii currently resides in a hospital in Isumi City, where she has been living since she was 105 years old.

For more information, please view Hanako Ishii’s Directory Profile here.

LongeviQuest is pleased to announce the age validation of Kotoe Nishikawa of Japan at age 110. She was born in Tamba-Sasayama, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan on 28 October 1913. Nishikawa had four older brothers. During her youth, she was known for her energetic spirit, which set her apart from other girls. At some point during her teenage years, she traveled to Tokyo to pursue a career as an assistant nurse.

At 24, Nishikawa got married and quit her job as a nurse to move to Hirakata City, Osaka Prefecture. During the tough times of World War II, she had to rush to a nearby shelter to protect herself and her five children, from infants to seven years old, whenever the air raid siren sounded. Although they survived the war’s hardships, their home was destroyed in the Osaka Air Raid. After the war, Nishikawa and her family moved to Sakai City, where she gave birth to her youngest child at the age of 36.

As Nishikawa’s children grew and grandchildren were born, her focus shifted to caring for her grandchildren. In her late 70s, she looked after around 15 grandchildren. Her family explained that her upbringing as a nurse’s assistant before marriage and her unwavering dedication had a profound impact on her, leading her to care for sick relatives as well. In her 80s, she fractured her right femur, necessitating the use of daycare services. At 90, she broke her left femur and moved into a nursing home. Despite having bolts placed in both femurs, she maintained her independence until she was nearly 100 years old. She was an avid reader of kanji, able to decipher even the most challenging ones that most people struggle with.

On 31 October 2022, following the death of 114-year-old Kimiko Ono, she became the oldest living person in Sakai City (although registered as a resident of the city, she was living in a special nursing home in Osaka City).

On her 110th birthday.
(Source: Courtesy of the family)

At the age of 110, she eats three full meals a day and is doing well. Her family praised her as “a person who is devoted to others.” Her mother lived to be around 95 years old, and her siblings lived to be over 80 years old. Five of her six children are still alive as of November 2023.

For more information, please view Kotoe Nishikawa’s Directory Profile here.