Longeviquest is pleased to confirm that Mary Harris recently celebrated her birthday on the 13th of May 2023 at the age of 112 years old and is now the oldest living person in the U.S. State of Tennessee. She was born in Ithaca, New York, USA on 13 May 1911. Mrs. Harris was born premature, and the doctor said that she was too little and would not live. However, she defied the odds and has lived a long and full life.
She married James Richard Harris in 1937 and they had two daughters. The couple ran a dry-cleaning business and dairy farm in New York and Harris worked as the bookkeeper both times. At the age of 77, Mrs. Harris began painting and has since become a talented artist and has had her work displayed in several exhibitions. In 2003, her husband died at the age of 90. Her family continued to grow and today she has five grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
(Source: WRCBtv)
On her 110th birthday, Harris received a letter from Pope Francis. The Pope congratulated Harris on her long life and praised her for her dedication to her family and community. Harris was deeply touched by the Pope’s letter and said that it was the highlight of her birthday.
For more information, please view Mary Haris’s Directory Profile here.