| Emma Tillman | |
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Emma Tillman aged 114 with great-grand daughter Carol Stewart |
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| Born | November 22, 1892 Gibsonville, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | January 28, 2007 (aged 114 years, 67 days) East Hartford, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Occupation | Baker, caterer |
| Title | World's oldest person (24 January 2007 – 28 January 2007) |
Emmaline "Emma" Fanchon Tillman, (née Faust; November 22, 1892 – January 28, 2007) was an American supercentenarian and, at age 114 years 67 days, the oldest validated living person from January 24, 2007 until her own death four days later. She was the last remaining documented person born in 1892.
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Emma, an African American, was born in Gibsonville, North Carolina, to former slaves on the Faust Plantation. Alphonso, Emma's father, was the son of former slave Letha Faust of African descent and of plantation owner Cain Faust of German descent. Emma's mother, Martha Gibson Faust, who was of Native American heritage, was reportedly also born into slavery. The family moved to Hartford, Connecticut in 1900. Tillman ran her own baking and catering service whose regular customers included Dr. Thomas Hepburn, a noted Hartford Hospital urologist and father to actress Katharine Hepburn.
By February 16, 2006, the passings of several older people (including Gladys Swetland, Bettie Wilson and Susie Gibson) had moved Emma up to second-oldest in the 50 U.S. states, and she became the oldest following the December 2006 death of the then world's oldest person, 116-year-old Elizabeth Bolden. By then she was also among the 60 longest living people ever. On January 18, 2007, she became the oldest living woman following the death of 115-year-old Canadian Julie Winnefred Bertrand, and on January 24, 2007 the world's oldest living person with the death of another 115-year-old, Emiliano Mercado del Toro (a native of Puerto Rico).
Tillman resided at an assisted living center in East Hartford, Connecticut. Her death at age 114 years and 67 days around 10:10PM EST means that her title reign of just four days was the shortest ever, breaking the previous record of shortest tenure, 13 days, held by Mitoyo Kawate of Japan. Tillman's successor was Yone Minagawa, also of Japan. Tillman is buried at Spring Grove Cemetery in Hartford. Tillman is one of the 80 oldest people ever.
Emma Faust was one of 23 children born to former slaves in North Carolina, and one of only 15 who lived to adulthood. Many of Emmas' siblings died at birth or in their early years, but four of Emmas' siblings lived past age 100, including a sister, Ava Stewart (January 29, 1881 - March 1983), aged 102, and a brother, Eugene A. Faust (February, 7 1888 - September 1, 1996), aged 108. Another sister, aged 105, died in 2005, and yet another, aged 102, died in the 1980s.
| Preceded by Emiliano Mercado del Toro |
Oldest recognized living person January 24, 2007 – January 28, 2007 |
Succeeded by Yone Minagawa |
| Preceded by Julie Winnefred Bertrand |
Oldest recognized living woman January 18, 2007 – January 28, 2007 |
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