It seems ironic, doesn’t it, that someone with the last name “Coffin” could have lived longer than anyone else in history?
That could very well be the case, as some records indicate that Oberia Coffin – who passed away in 2006 – lived to be 122 years and 321 days old. Her Social Security records listed her date of birth as December 1st, 1883. However, since she had no known birth certificate, living relatives, or any record found of her in the 1900 census, that claim could not be sufficiently verified.
What we do know is that she was born in Dalby Springs, Texas, and in 1992 (at age 108) she moved into a nursing home in De Kalb, Texas, where she lived for fourteen more years.
Information on Ms. Coffin is difficult to find, but one account says she may have been the oldest of 13 or 14 children. Her father, Pink Coffin (first name pronounced “Pank”) was believed to be a freed slave.
If these records are true, then Oberia Coffin lived long enough to witness more than half of all United States history. That’s not as long as the lineage of Outerbridge Horseys stretching back to 1715, but for one person, it’s pretty darn impressive. Well done, Oberia. Well done.