Edythe Kirchmaier

Edythe Kirchmaier (nee King, January 22, 1908 – October 24, 2015) was an American social worker, who at 105 was the oldest user of social media site Facebook, the oldest registered driver in California and the oldest living former graduate of University of Chicago.

Edythe Kirchmaier
Born
Edythe King[1]

(1908-01-22)January 22, 1908
Springfield, Ohio, U.S.
DiedOctober 24, 2015(2015-10-24) (aged 107)
EducationUniversity of Ohio, University of Chicago
Occupations
  • Retired social worker
  • 42 year volunteer with organisation Direct Relief
Known for
  • Oldest Facebook user[2]
  • Oldest living former graduate of University of Chicago
  • Oldest registered driver in California[2]
Children2 children

Biography

She was the University of Chicago's oldest living former graduate, and resided in Santa Barbara, California. Kirchmaier attended Springfield High School in Ohio and graduated from Ohio State University in 1930. She spent spring quarters from 1931 to 1934 taking courses and doing field work. She also enrolled in the University of Rochester.[3][4]She took a position in the welfare department of Cook County, Illinois and in a state welfare office, where she became a supervisor. She met her husband Joe Kirchmaier while working in state welfare and they married in 1938. They had 2 children.

She was the eldest registered driver in California and had a perfect record during her 86 years as a motorist. She was donated a Honda Civic to help her work with her organisation after her caravan was destroyed.

She was married for over 70 years. Her husband died in 2008 at age 98, when she was 100 years of age.[2]

On January 22, 2013, she signed up to Facebook on her 105th birthday. Facebook engineers however had to "decode" information, as her birth year was not recognized[5][6] In retirement, she volunteered once a week for the charity Direct Relief.[2]

Media appearances

She was featured on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Today, and on the Oprah Winfrey Network program Super Soul Sunday, for her volunteer work at Direct Relief.[1]

Death

She died at the age of 107 on October 24, 2015.[7]

References
  1. Rael, Hannah (14 January 2015). "A Lifetime of Giving Back: Celebrating Edythe Kirchmaier at 107". Direct Relief. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  2. Cavaliere, Victoria (7 February 2013). "At 105, Edythe Kirchmaier is Facebook's oldest user". New York Daily News. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  3. https://crownschool.uchicago.edu/alumni/success-stories/edythe-kirchmaier#:~:text=It%20was%20there%20she%20met,and%20would%20have%20two%20children.
  4. Okura, Lynn (28 October 2014). "Edythe Kirchmaier, Facebook's Oldest User, Shares Her Beautiful Wisdom (VIDEO)". Huffington Post. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  5. Berkman, Fran (27 August 2013). "Facebook's Oldest User, 105, Gets a New Car From Mystery Donor". Mashable. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  6. Neporent, Liz (7 February 2013). "Centenarian Facebook User Adds a Few Wrinkles to Site". ABC News. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  7. "Edythe Kirchmaier, January 22, 1908 ~ October 24, 2015 (Direct Relief)". Direct Relief. Wn.com. 25 October 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
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