Facebook policy challenger dies at 114

MINNEAPOLIS – A 114-year-old woman who challenged Facebook after the social media site wouldn’t let her list her real age has died in Minnesota.

Anna Stoehr, one of the nation’s oldest residents, died Sunday in her sleep after several days in hospice care, according to her son, Harlan Stoehr.

She drew national attention this year after KARE-TV reported about her attempt to create a Facebook account. The social media site wouldn’t let her enter a birth year before 1905, so she listed her age as 99 – but she wrote a letter to the company saying, “I’m still here.”

In response, Facebook sent her a bouquet of 114 flowers for her most recent birthday, her son said.

The Gerontology Research Group said Anna Stoehr was the oldest verified resident of Minnesota. She also was the seventh oldest person verified to be living in the U.S. and 12th oldest in the world, according to Robert Young, a senior database administrator for the research group.

Young said living to age “114 is extremely rare.” But he said the most amazing thing about Stoehr wasn’t just her age, but the fact that she was willing to try new things, including Facebook and smartphones.