The oldest person in the US has died at the age of 116, leaving behind an impressive legacy.
Hester Ford of Charlotte, North Carolina, died on Saturday (April 17), after having lived well over a century, per WBTV.
The matriarch leaves behind 12 children, 48 grandchildren, 108 great-grandchildren, and around 120 great-great-grandchildren, according to the outlet.
Ford was born in Lancaster, South Carolina, in 1904 and was raised to work on a farm, where she planted and picked cotton and plowed the fields.
At the young age of 15, she married John Ford, a steelworker, and the pair later moved to Charlotte. They had been married for 45 years when he died in 1963.
Ford passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family, who have since shared a statement to Facebook confirming her passing yesterday.
They shared: "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Mother Hester McCardell Ford today. She was a pillar and stalwart to our family and provided much needed love, support and understanding to us all.
"She was the seed that sprouted leaves and branches which is now our family. God saw fit to make her the matriarch of our family and blessed us to be her caretakers and recipients of her legacy."
The family continued: "Her light shined beyond her local area and she lived beyond a century with memories containing real life experience of over 100 years.
"She not only represented the advancement of our family but of the Black African American race and culture in our country. She was a reminder of how far we have come as people on this earth.
"She has been celebrated all over the world by local governments, community leaders, social media, foreign dignities and Presidents as a cherished jewel of society for holding the honor of being the oldest living person in America."
Our thoughts are with Ford's friends and family at this time.
