The Albion woman died Thursday at Oaklawn Hospital in Marshall at the age of 112.
As of September 11, Lafayette was the 20th-oldest person in the world, ninth in the United States and second in Michigan, according to the California-based Gerontology Research Group that verifies and documents supercentenarians -- people age 110 and older.
Lafayette was taken to the hospital about two weeks ago and diagnosed with shingles, said her granddaughter, Gloria Francis.
"It just happened all of a sudden," Francis said. "She really got kind of bad the last week of her life."
Hattie Lee Lafayette. File Photo
Doctors told Francis that shingles is difficult for almost anyone, but for someone Lafayette's age, "it's horrible."
"I know she is at peace now, and I thank the Lord for that," she said. "We will miss her, but she won't have to have any pain or suffer."
Francis said family members were at her side during her final moments.
"It was just her time," Francis said. "I think God permitted her to come home. I did not want her to suffer. Now she is gone to glory.
"She was ready. I can't tell you enough she was ready."
In 1980, Lafayette packed a box with a dress, undergarments, a handmade robe and a pin: all things she wanted to be dressed in at her funeral.
Francis retrieved the box, and after 29 years of being sealed in a garment bag, its contents were still fresh. The clothes just needed to be ironed.
Up until the last week of her life, Francis said her grandmother loved to sing and talk about the old times.
Lafayette fed, bathed and dressed herself with little help. She had lived with Francis since breaking her hip at age 100.
Francis said she spent lots of time asking her grandmother questions about her family's history.
Born in Calhoun, Alabama, Lafayette moved to Detroit in 1956 and retired from working as a nurse at Herman Keifer Hospital.
Lafayette told the Citizen Patriot in 2008 when she woke up in the morning, the first thing that crossed her mind was to pray. She was ordained as a deaconess in 1964 at Lewis Chapel A.M.E. in Albion.
"I thank the lord he let me live this long," Lafayette said.
She was preceded in death by her husband, L.C. Lafayette, 21 siblings, two daughters and three grandchildren.
She is survived by five grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren, 88 great-great grandchildren, 59 great-great-great-grandchildren and two great-great-great-great-grandchildren.
"We know that she wasn't born to live forever," Francis said. "I tell them be thankful she lived 112 years." [rc]
© 2009 Michigan Live LLC.
September 14, 2009
USA: Hattie Lee Lafayette, 112-year-old woman from Albion, dies
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ALBION, Michigan / MichiganLive.com / Jackson News / September 14, 2009
Hattie Lee Lafayette lived to see seven generations of family members.
By jbleiler
The Albion woman died Thursday at Oaklawn Hospital in Marshall at the age of 112.
As of September 11, Lafayette was the 20th-oldest person in the world, ninth in the United States and second in Michigan, according to the California-based Gerontology Research Group that verifies and documents supercentenarians -- people age 110 and older.
Lafayette was taken to the hospital about two weeks ago and diagnosed with shingles, said her granddaughter, Gloria Francis.
"It just happened all of a sudden," Francis said. "She really got kind of bad the last week of her life."
Hattie Lee Lafayette. File Photo
Doctors told Francis that shingles is difficult for almost anyone, but for someone Lafayette's age, "it's horrible."
"I know she is at peace now, and I thank the Lord for that," she said. "We will miss her, but she won't have to have any pain or suffer."
Francis said family members were at her side during her final moments.
"It was just her time," Francis said. "I think God permitted her to come home. I did not want her to suffer. Now she is gone to glory.
"She was ready. I can't tell you enough she was ready."
In 1980, Lafayette packed a box with a dress, undergarments, a handmade robe and a pin: all things she wanted to be dressed in at her funeral.
Francis retrieved the box, and after 29 years of being sealed in a garment bag, its contents were still fresh. The clothes just needed to be ironed.
Up until the last week of her life, Francis said her grandmother loved to sing and talk about the old times.
Lafayette fed, bathed and dressed herself with little help. She had lived with Francis since breaking her hip at age 100.
Francis said she spent lots of time asking her grandmother questions about her family's history.
Born in Calhoun, Alabama, Lafayette moved to Detroit in 1956 and retired from working as a nurse at Herman Keifer Hospital.
Lafayette told the Citizen Patriot in 2008 when she woke up in the morning, the first thing that crossed her mind was to pray. She was ordained as a deaconess in 1964 at Lewis Chapel A.M.E. in Albion.
"I thank the lord he let me live this long," Lafayette said.
She was preceded in death by her husband, L.C. Lafayette, 21 siblings, two daughters and three grandchildren.
She is survived by five grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren, 88 great-great grandchildren, 59 great-great-great-grandchildren and two great-great-great-great-grandchildren.
"We know that she wasn't born to live forever," Francis said. "I tell them be thankful she lived 112 years." [rc]
© 2009 Michigan Live LLC.
The Albion woman died Thursday at Oaklawn Hospital in Marshall at the age of 112.
As of September 11, Lafayette was the 20th-oldest person in the world, ninth in the United States and second in Michigan, according to the California-based Gerontology Research Group that verifies and documents supercentenarians -- people age 110 and older.
Lafayette was taken to the hospital about two weeks ago and diagnosed with shingles, said her granddaughter, Gloria Francis.
"It just happened all of a sudden," Francis said. "She really got kind of bad the last week of her life."
Hattie Lee Lafayette. File Photo
Doctors told Francis that shingles is difficult for almost anyone, but for someone Lafayette's age, "it's horrible."
"I know she is at peace now, and I thank the Lord for that," she said. "We will miss her, but she won't have to have any pain or suffer."
Francis said family members were at her side during her final moments.
"It was just her time," Francis said. "I think God permitted her to come home. I did not want her to suffer. Now she is gone to glory.
"She was ready. I can't tell you enough she was ready."
In 1980, Lafayette packed a box with a dress, undergarments, a handmade robe and a pin: all things she wanted to be dressed in at her funeral.
Francis retrieved the box, and after 29 years of being sealed in a garment bag, its contents were still fresh. The clothes just needed to be ironed.
Up until the last week of her life, Francis said her grandmother loved to sing and talk about the old times.
Lafayette fed, bathed and dressed herself with little help. She had lived with Francis since breaking her hip at age 100.
Francis said she spent lots of time asking her grandmother questions about her family's history.
Born in Calhoun, Alabama, Lafayette moved to Detroit in 1956 and retired from working as a nurse at Herman Keifer Hospital.
Lafayette told the Citizen Patriot in 2008 when she woke up in the morning, the first thing that crossed her mind was to pray. She was ordained as a deaconess in 1964 at Lewis Chapel A.M.E. in Albion.
"I thank the lord he let me live this long," Lafayette said.
She was preceded in death by her husband, L.C. Lafayette, 21 siblings, two daughters and three grandchildren.
She is survived by five grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren, 88 great-great grandchildren, 59 great-great-great-grandchildren and two great-great-great-great-grandchildren.
"We know that she wasn't born to live forever," Francis said. "I tell them be thankful she lived 112 years." [rc]
© 2009 Michigan Live LLC.
