Gertrude Weaver, who only recently became the world’s oldest person, died at the age of 116, according to media reports.
Weaver, born in 1898, died in Camden, Arkansas. According to KATV, she passed away at around 10 a.m. on Monday.
The Silver Oaks Health and Rehabilitation Center in Camden confirmed her death. She was pronounced the world’s oldest person on April 1 after Misao Okawa of Japan died at 117.
Her designation was confirmed by the Los Angeles-based Gerontology Research Group.
Weaver had four children with her husband. All of her children have died, except for her son, who is in his 90s.
The newest world’s oldest person is 115-year-old Jeralean Talley of Michigan.
In an interview with Time, Weaver said that “kindness” is the secret to living a long life. “Treat people right and be nice to other people the way you want them to be nice to you,” she said.
Weaver was born near Lewisville, Arkansas, to Charles and Ophelia Gaines. She was the youngest of six living children.
Japan’s oldest person is now a 115-year-old Tokyo woman, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. The name of the woman, who was born March 15, 1900, was not released at the request of her family, the ministry said.
Japan has the most centenarians in the world, with more than 58,000, according to the government. About 87 percent of them are women.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
