Gertrude Weaver, world's oldest person, dies at 116 in U.S.

Gertrude Weaver holds a flower given to her a day before her 116th birthday at Silver Oaks Health and Rehabilitation Center in Camden, Arkansas. File photo

Just days after becoming the world’s oldest documented person, 116-year-old Gertrude Weaver died on Monday in Arkansas.

Weaver became the oldest person in the world after the death of a 117-year-old Japanese woman last week, according to records kept by the Los Angeles-based Gerontology Research Group. Weaver was born in 1898.

The Williams Funeral Home confirmed Weaver died just after 10 am (local time) on Monday at the Silver Oaks Health and Rehabilitation Center in Camden, about 160 kilometres southwest of Little Rock.

Camden Mayor Marie Trisollini chatted with Weaver last week when the supercentenarian’s roommate celebrated her 100th birthday.

“She was a really sweet lady. She was relatively perky and coherent when I talked with her before the party,” Ms. Trisollini said. “When you asked for advice on how to live a long life she would say, ‘Use a lot of skin moisturiser, treat everyone nice, love your neighbour and eat your own cooking. Don’t eat at fast food places.’”

Weaver told nursing home staff last week that she wanted to invite President Barack Obama because she had voted for him twice.