Waldo McBurney

Ralph Waldo McBurney (October 3, 1902 – July 8, 2009) was said to be the oldest worker in the United States. Until a relatively short time before his death at age 106, he lived and worked as a beekeeper in the city of Quinter, Kansas. He was born in Quinter and had lived in the Quinter area for many years. He also lived near the Kansas cities of Sterling and Beloit. In his last years, he was recognized nationwide for his longevity.

Personal life He was the third of six children born to George R. and Mary B. (Huston) McBurney. Vernice died in 2016 at the age of 102. He suffered a heart attack in 1994, but continued competing afterward. He died at the Gove County Medical Center in Quinter on July 8, 2009.

McBurney served as an elder in the Quinter congregation of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, and his father and his son Kenneth (who survived him) both served as ministers in the same denomination. His father, too, was long-lived, being the oldest minister in the denomination at his death. His continued competition at his age attracted the attention of gerontologists.

Recognition In October 2006, McBurney was recognized as the oldest worker in America by Experience Works. As a result, he was featured in newspapers nationwide and on the CBS television program Assignment America. He is also a past recipient of the "Hometown Health Hero" award given by the Governor of Kansas.