Oldest person in US offers tip for long life

The oldest person in the United States turned 115 earlier this week, and she has offered a single tip on how to live a long, happy life. Elizabeth Francis, who currently lives in Houston, has lived through everything from World War I to the sinking of the Titanic. She turned 115 on Thursday and now holds the distinction of being the oldest living American. She also cemented her place as the world's fourth-oldest living person, according to The Guardian. 

"She has seen some things in her 115 years," a statement from LongeviQuest's chief executive officer, Ben Meyers, said about Francis, per the outlet. Dubbing her "America's grandmother", Meyers added: "But none of it has seemed to rattle her."

Speaking to the Washington Post, Francis also offered a single tip on how to live a long and happy life. "Speak your mind and don't hold your tongue," she said.

Separately, Francis' eldest granddaughter said, "We all know that we have to punch that [final] ticket someday, so we're amazed and grateful that she's still here. She's surprised us all." 

According to The Guardian, Francis was born in 1909 in St Mary Parish, Louisiana. She raised her now-95-year-old daughter as a single mother, ran a coffee shop in Houston and preferred walking over driving. The 115-year-old was alive during the Great Depression, the first aeroplane flight across the Atlantic and 20 presidents from William Howard Taft to Joe Biden. 

Francis now lives with her daughter. "They enjoy sitting next to each other to laugh and watch old episodes of 'Good Times' and 'The Jeffersons' on television," her 69-year-old granddaughter, Ethel Harrison, said. "They also love watching 'The Price is Right.' They both feel lucky and blessed to be together so late in life," she added.

Notably, Francis was crowned the country's oldest person in February after the previous longevity record holder, Edie Ceccarelli, died a few weeks after her 116th birthday in California. In April, she was then awarded a plaque recognising her as the oldest person in the US from LongeviQuest.

"I asked her the other night how she feels about turning 115 and she smiled and said, 'I just thank the good Lord that I'm here,'" Harrison told the Washington Post. "She says she has nothing to complain about, and the rest of our family feels the same way."

Harrison said she hopes Francis makes it to 117 years old, the age of the current living oldest person in the world. "Every year that I have to order another birthday cake for my grandmother is an occasion worth celebrating to know she's still with us," she said.