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Murphy, a New Yorker who was drawn to the city by the Harlem Renaissance, died Saturday, confirmed her granddaughter, Nefer Nekhet.
“It is with great sadness that we share news of the passing of Mrs. Alelia Murphy,” the health care workers’ union 1199SEIU, of which Murphy’s daughter was a member, said Wednesday in a statement.
“Mrs. Murphy was the oldest living American, having celebrated her 114th birthday in July, surrounded by her family, friends, community leaders, and members of our AFRAM Caucus.”
The cause of Murphy’s death was not immediately available.
What she credited for her longevity
Murphy’s 114th birthday on July 6 was cause for community celebration. Officials in the Harlem section of New York City, where Murphy had lived since 1926, declared it “Alelia Murphy Appreciation Day.”
New York state Sen. Brian Benjamin called Murphy a “Harlem landmark” and thanked her for her contributions to the community.
Born in North Carolina, Murphy moved to Manhattan at the peak of the Harlem Renaissance. Her involvement with community organizations and her church over the years made her a local icon.
She was widowed in 1953 and supported her two children as a seamstress for most of her life.
Murphy didn’t speak at the birthday event, but her family said she credited her longevity to God and “being a good person.”
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