Iowa Woman Celebrates Her 115 Birthday With Family

There must be something in the corn because Iowa resident, Bessie Hendricks, is the oldest living person in the United States. She celebrated last Monday with three of her kids in Lake City.

Bessie has lived through twenty-one presidents. Two world wars. A depression. The sinking of the Titanic. And even two Chicago Cubs World Series championships (1908 and 2016).

She is currently the oldest living person in the United States and the 4th oldest in the world. (The oldest known living person is Lucile Randon of France, aged 118 years, 276 days.)

The eldest of Bessies children is Joan Schaffer, who just celebrated her 90th birthday a day earlier,

"I don't know how you put it into words," said her daughter Joan. "It's marvelous that we still have her."

"Her mother died when she was about 13," Joan said. "I think mom was about 13 years old. And she raised her siblings after that."

"She's always caring about her family," said Leon Hendricks, her son. "She always did that. Family came first to mom. Always."

A birthday cake was made for Bessie to celebrate her special day. The baker chose not to put 115 candles on top... Good choice.