1. Besse Berry Cooper was an American supercentenarian who was the world's oldest living person from June 21,2011 until her death in 2012.
10 Facts About Besse Cooper
1. 2.
Cooper was born Besse Berry Brown in Sullivan County, Tennessee, on August 26,1896, the third of eight children born to Richard Brown and Angeline Berry.
3.
Besse Cooper graduated from East Tennessee State Normal School in 1916.
4.
Besse Cooper married Luther Cooper in 1924, and had four children with him.
5.
Besse Cooper died of respiratory failure on December 4,2012, after contracting stomach flu.
6.
Besse Cooper became Georgia's oldest resident on January 19,2009, following the death of 113-year-old Beatrice Farve.
7.
Besse Cooper was thought to be the world's oldest living person after the death of Eunice Sanborn on January 31,2011 until May 18,2011, when Brazil's Maria Gomes Valentim was verified as older.
8.
On June 21,2011, Maria Gomes Valentim died, and Besse Cooper became the world's oldest living person.
9.
Besse Cooper reportedly attributed her longevity to "minding her own business" and avoiding junk food.
10.
At the time of her 116th birthday in August 2012, Besse Cooper had four children, 11 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.