‘I just feel like living every day’: oldest American, 115, offers tips for longevity

Louisiana’s Elizabeth Francis, ‘America’s grandmother’, was born before women could vote and has seen two world wars

The oldest person in the US offers two bits of advice when asked for the keys to her longevity: “If the good Lord gave it to you, use it” and “Speak your mind, don’t bite your tongue!”

Elizabeth Francis’s pearls of wisdom were recirculated widely as she celebrated her 115th birthday on Thursday. The milestone cemented her place as the world’s fourth-oldest living person, according to the LongeviQuest website, an authority on supercentenarians, or those who are 110 or older.