Dina Manfredini, world's oldest person, dies at 115

DES MOINES, Iowa -- A 115-year-old Iowa woman has died less than two weeks after inheriting the title of world's oldest person, her family said Monday.

Dina Manfredini, who lived at the Bishop Drumm Retirement Center in Johnston, died Monday morning, according to her granddaughter Lori Logli. Logli would not elaborate on her grandmother's cause of death, but she said Manfredini had been suffering from a fever.

Guinness World Records confirmed Manfredini inherited the title of world's oldest living person less than two weeks ago. Besse Cooper of Georgia previously held the title at age 116.

"She was active her whole life," Logli said. "She was a very giving person." Logli said Manfredini also looked very young for her age. She had salt-and-pepper hair until she was about 110 years old.

Manfredini was born on April 4, 1897, in Italy, according to Guinness officials. She moved to the United States in 1920 and settled in Des Moines with her husband.

Robert Young, a senior consultant of gerontology for Guinness, said that on Dec. 13, Manfredini became No. 10 on the list of world's longest-living people. She also has the designation of the world's longest-living immigrant because of her move to the United States.