Bernice Madigan

Bernice Madigan (nee Emerson July 24, 1899 – January 3, 2015) was an American supercentenarian who was the oldest living resident of Massachusetts,[3] the fourth-oldest living person in the United States,[4] and the world's fifth-oldest living person before her death.[4][5] She is one of 100 centenarians in The Archon Genomics XPRIZE.[6][7]

Bernice Madigan
Bernice Madigan on Derby Day, 2013
Born
Bernice Emerson[1]

July 24, 1899[2]
West Springfield, Massachusetts
DiedJanuary 3, 2015
(aged 115 years, 163 days)
Cheshire, Massachusetts
NationalityAmerican
TitleOldest living resident of Massachusetts
Spouse(s)Paul Madigan (1896–1976)
(m. 1925–1976; his death)[1]

Biography

Bernice Emerson was born on July 24, 1899 in West Springfield, Massachusetts,[2][8][9] and moved to Cheshire when she was six.[10] In 1918, after graduating from Adams High School,[10][11] she responded to the government's drives to recruit women into employment during WWI, and moved to Washington, DC.[8] After the war, she worked as a secretary for the Department of the Treasury and the Veterans Administration.[12] She married Paul Madigan (d. 1976) in 1925;[12] they lived in the Washington, DC area and then in Silver Spring, Maryland.[10] She retired in 1942, after which she volunteered with the church and at nursing homes, playing piano for residents.[10] She returned to live with family in Massachusetts in 2007.[12] She participated in Boston University School of Medicine's New England Centenarian Study,[13] and was interviewed and filmed by the Center for Aging at the University of Chicago and the ABC World News.[13] She joined social media, with profiles on Facebook and Twitter.[12][14][15]

Madigan died in her sleep at the age of 115 years, 163 days at 2 a.m. on January 3, 2015.[9][15]

See also

References
  1. "State's oldest woman turns 113". North Adams Transcript. Archived from the original on July 30, 2012. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  2. "Oldest Validated Living Supercentenarians". Gerontology Research Group. Archived from the original on January 3, 2013. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
  3. Cheshire Woman 16th Oldest in the World
  4. Cheshire Woman Is Fourth Oldest in the World
  5. Buncombe, Andrew (January 22, 2015). "Secrets of longevity: Meet the five women whose lives span three centuries". The Independent. London, UK: Independent Digital News & Media. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
  6. "Bernice Madigan Centenarian Profile". Archon Genomics. Archived from the original on September 14, 2012. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  7. Ansberry, Clare. "Contestants Race to Map DNA of 100 Centenarians". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
  8. Hoffmann, Fritz (July 22, 2014). "Fritz Hoffmann Wishes Bernice Madigan a Happy 115th Birthday". National Geographic. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
  9. State's Oldest Citizen Dies, Berkshires.com (January 3, 2015)
  10. "At 110, Bay State's oldest resident is a marvel of longevity". The Boston Globe. July 24, 2009. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  11. Shanks, Adam (July 24, 2014). "Cheshire woman turns 115; world's fifth-oldest person". Berkshire Eagle. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
  12. Diebel, Matthew (September 5, 2014). "Inkster woman 115 among 6 living people born in 19th century". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
  13. "ABC News Features Cheshire's Madigan". iBerkshires.com. June 30, 2010. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
  14. Cain, Tim (November 17, 2014). "The oldest person on Twitter". Herald&Review. Decatur, Illinois. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
  15. Rousseau, Morgan (January 7, 2015). "Bernice Emerson Madigan, oldest Mass. resident, dies at age 115". Metro USA. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
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