Oldest living person in US, Alelia Murphy celebrates her 114th birthday

Born in 1905, Alelia Murphy who is believed to be the oldest living person in the United States celebrated her 114th birthday this past weekend in Harlem.  

Family, friends and state officials turned up to honour Murphy at the Harlem State Office Building. The Harlem resident became the oldest living American after a 114-year-old Ohio woman, Lessie Brown, died in January.

Murphy was born in North Carolina and has lived in New York’s Harlem neighborhood since 1926. Her age has been verified by the Gerontology Research Group in Sandy Springs, Georgia.

Murphy didn’t speak during the event at the Harlem State Office Building. But according to its program, when she is asked the secret to her longevity, Murphy replies: “Obey god and treat people right”.