Milly Skjordahl

BIOGRAPHY

Skjordahl was born in Hammond, Indiana on 10 July 1913 (claimed 16 June), to Polish-born parents Theodore (1887-1987) and Pauline Cienke (née Przydial; 1890-1939). Her older sister lived to be 96, and her father lived to be 100. While she claims to be born on 16 June 1913, her birth record suggests she was instead born on July 10th. On 16 July 1938, she married Arthur Jacob Skjordahl, the son of Norwegian immigrants, in Cook County, Illinois. The couple had two sons, Scott and Jeffrey. She was widowed in 1980.

At the age of 70, Skjordahl took up ballroom dancing, and won many trophies in a variety of competitions. As a centenarian, she started painting, which became a hobby after giving up ballroom dancing. She lived in Florida for several years before moving to Catalina Foothills, a small community north of Tucson, Arizona.

On her 110th birthday, Skjordahl was visited by family and friends. She stated that the secret to her longevity was to “keep busy and keep breathing.”

RECOGNITION

It is currently unclear when Skjordahl became Arizona’s oldest resident, but it is believed that she may have succeeded Vesta Toller, 110, on 9 March 2021.

Skjordahl is among the top 10 oldest people ever to reside in Arizona.