During her long life, she survived the 1918 flu pandemic, witnessed two world wars, saw Americans land on the Moon and experienced the growth of radio, television and the internet.

She became the oldest living American in January 2022.

Asked frequently about the secret of her longevity, Hendricks always had two succinct answers: “work hard” and “stay away from doctors.”

She was born Bessie Laurena Sharkey on Nov. 7, 1907, on a farm southeast of Auburn in Carroll County.

-Submitted photo
Bessie Hendricks, of Lake City, graduated from Lake City High School in 1926, taught country school, married in 1930 and raised five children on the farm with her husband, Paul.

The family moved to Calhoun County in 1908, and she remained a resident there for the rest of her life.

Hendricks graduated from Lake City High School in 1926. She then taught in a country school for four years.

She married Paul Hendricks on June 27, 1930, at Woodlawn Christian Church in Lake City. The couple first lived in the tiny village of Rands. Then in March 1933, the growing family moved to a farm east of Lake City. Hendricks and her husband would live on that farm until 1980, when they moved to Lake City.

Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday at Lampe & Powers Funeral Home in Lake City.

The funeral will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Woodlawn Christian Church in Lake City. Burial will follow at the Lake City Cemetery.