KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mary Clark Manion Chesney witnessed more than a century of history. She lived through two world wars, the Great Depression, and two pandemics, but those who knew her say it was her kindness and calm spirit that truly stood the test of time.
At the age of 112, the oldest living Missouri resident has died, according to her obituary.
Chesney passed away on Monday, May 5.
The nursing home where she resided, Meadow Ridge Senior Living, said Chesney was one of the oldest living people in the United States and the oldest living Missouri resident on record.
Chesney and her late husband called Kansas City home until they retired and moved to Moberly, Missouri, in the 70s, according to her obituary.
In a 2022 interview with KOMU 8 News in Columbia, Chesney humbly claimed she didn’t have a secret to her longevity, but her nieces had their own theories.
“She’s had very little stress in her life; she’s had no children,” Mary Sharabaika said to KOMU 8.
“That is one thing about her, she doesn’t worry about things; she never has,” one of Chesney’s other nieces, Shirley Smith, told KOMU 8.
During that same interview, Chesney shared her own simple advice for a long life: “Be good to everyone and help people if you can.”
Meadow Ridge Senior Living said she started living at its facility when she was 104 years old. They said Chesney was a very sweet and carefree person.
Chesney would often hang out in the lobby, people-watching and eating sugar packets that she kept in her pocket, the senior living center said. Her favorite pastime was spending time with her family, who the senior living center said came to visit often.
With Chesney’s passing, the oldest person living in Missouri is now Ruby Davis, a 110-year-old who lives in Shelbina, according to the Gerontology Research Group.