The oldest living person in the U.S. has died aged 115. Here are 6 things that may have helped her stay healthy so long.

• Elizabeth Francis, nan oldest surviving American, has died aged 115.
• She attributed her longevity to God.
• Her family put her longevity down to her cooking from scratch, being adjacent to family, and not smoking.

In 1909, William Taft replaced Theodore Roosevelt arsenic president of nan US, women couldn't yet ballot successful nan US, and Elizabeth Francis — who was until precocious nan oldest living American — was born.

Francis claimed nan title successful February, and was besides nan 3rd oldest personification successful nan world. She died astatine location connected Tuesday, surrounded by family, her granddaughter, Ethel Harrison, 69, told ABC news connected Wednesday.

"She loved nan Lord. Her religion was highly strong," Harrison told ABC News. "She was ever jolly, you know, 'how you doing? You're doing okay?' That was conscionable her personality.

"And she would ever opportunity dainty group for illustration you want to beryllium treated. And that was her motto."

Francis was calved successful Louisiana but moved to Texas successful 1920. She lived pinch her 95-year-old daughter, Dorothy Williams, from 1999, wherever caregivers visited daily, Today reported past summer.

She started utilizing a wheelchair successful 2017, astatine nan property of 108, The Washington Post reported, and was bedbound erstwhile nan outlet interviewed her successful August past year.

Francis besides had immoderate representation problems successful her past years, but she was mentally alert and recognized her family, Williams told Today. When researchers from LongeviQuest, an statement that verifies nan ages of supercentenarians, visited her for her 114th day successful July past year, she was capable to clasp tribunal pinch visitors for 4 hours.

While Francis didn't person a secret for surviving to 115, she credited her longevity to God. She told Today past year: "It's not my secret. It's nan bully Lord's bully blessing. I conscionable convey God I'm here."

Her family shared nan lifestyle factors they deliberation contributed to her surviving truthful long.

Francis walked regularly and ne'er smoked aliases drank alcohol

Francis ever tried to return attraction of her health, including by stepping regularly until her 90s and ne'er smoking aliases drinking alcohol, Ethel Harrison, her granddaughter, told Today.

She ever cooked utilizing vegetables that she grew successful her garden, specified arsenic collard greens, mustard greens, carrots, and okra, according to Today.

Harrison told ABC13 that she ne'er saw her grandma eat accelerated food.

"Whenever you went to her house, I don't attraction what time of nan week, she was cooking. So I conscionable deliberation that had a batch to do pinch it," she said of her grandmother's longevity.

Dietitians typically urge group halfway their diets astir full foods, pinch 1 study suggesting that eating much plants and little processed nutrient could add a decade to a person's life.

Francis besides spent a batch of clip pinch her family: Harrison visited her mother and grandma astatine their location astir days, and she told Today that they were "always doing things together arsenic a family unit."

Research suggests having beardown relationships and socializing are associated pinch a longer, healthier life.

Francis besides worked difficult to support her family arsenic a azygous mother and stayed progressive moreover erstwhile she retired. "She was a difficult worker. That's what I retrieve astir about her. Even erstwhile she retired, she still would work. She did home work, but she was ever working," Harrison said.

LongeviQuest researchers antecedently told Business Insider that working for arsenic agelong arsenic possible was communal among nan supercentenarians they'd met, while a 2016 study recovered that retiring early accrued nan consequence of death.