The oldest living American, Alelia Murphy of New York, has died at 114

A view of the exterior of The Renaissance Ballroom and Casino located at 138th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem circa 1925 in New York City, New York. Alelia Murphy relocated to the heart of the Harlem Renaissance the following year.

Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

A view of the exterior of The Renaissance Ballroom and Casino located at 138th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem circa 1925 in New York City, New York. Alelia Murphy relocated to the heart of the Harlem Renaissance the following year.

Alelia Murphy, the oldest living person in America, has died at the age of 114.

When asked what is her secret to living a long life, Murphy said: “Trust in God and be a good person.”

Posted by WXYZ-TV Channel 7 on Thursday, November 28, 2019

Murphy, a North Carolina native who moved to New York at the height of the Harlem Renaissance in 1926, worked as a seamstress and had been widowed since 1953, CNN reported.

According to the Gerontology Research Group, which tracks the oldest people in the world, Hester Ford of North Carolina is now the oldest living American, and 116-year-old Kane Tanaka of Japan remains the world's oldest person. Ford was born Aug. 15, 1905, or a little more than one month after Murphy.

The cause of Murphy's death was not immediately available, CNN reported.

According to Time, New York State Sen. Brian Benjamin declared Murphy a "Harlem landmark" earlier this year on her July 6 birthday.

About the Author