The Georgia-Born Supercentenarian Celebrated 116 Years Surrounded By Generations Of Family In Pennsylvania
Naomi Whitehead had a simple response when a relative asked how old she was during her birthday celebration.
“I think I’m 116,” Whitehead told one of her great-nieces.
She was exactly right.
Whitehead, recognized as the oldest living person in the United States, celebrated her 116th birthday surrounded by generations of family in Greenville, Pennsylvania, over the weekend.
Born Sept. 26, 1910, in Georgia, Whitehead reached the milestone as one of the oldest verified people in the world.
Nearly 90 Relatives Gather To Celebrate
Two of Whitehead’s grandchildren helped organize the celebration, which brought together between 80 and 90 relatives from across the country, including several of her great-great-great-grandchildren.
Whitehead arrived dressed in sparkling blue, while relatives wore matching blue shirts featuring her photograph and a gold “116.”
Pennsylvania state Sen. Michele Brooks attended the celebration and presented Whitehead with a proclamation. Representatives from LongeviQuest, an organization that tracks and verifies the ages of the world’s oldest people, also presented her with a plaque recognizing her as the oldest living American.
The celebration doubled as a family reunion. Photographs documenting Whitehead’s life were displayed throughout the venue and on her birthday cake, while one of her great-nieces recorded family stories to preserve generations of history.
The family feast included chicken, ham, green beans, macaroni and cheese, pasta and meatballs, baked beans and punch.
From A Georgia Farm To 116 Years
Whitehead was born Naomi Washington on a Georgia farm and began working at a young age, helping her family pick cotton and tobacco. She married Sylvester Whitehead in 1930. The couple raised three sons — Parrish, Elbert and Sylvester. Parrish died in 2011.
Whitehead became the oldest living person in the United States in October 2024 following the death of 115-year-old Elizabeth Francis of Texas.
Her longevity has since placed her among an exceptionally small group worldwide. In February, Whitehead became the world’s second-oldest verified living person following the death of France’s Marie-Rose Tessier.
She trails only Ethel Caterham of the United Kingdom, who is 117.
At 116, Whitehead’s birthday celebration brought together descendants spanning multiple generations — preserving not only the milestone of America’s oldest living person, but the family history that came with it.
