Ervin Williams of Spring Valley knew this day would come. After all, when he was a young man, his great-grandmother, Hattie Lafayette of Albion, Mich., was older than just about anyone around.

Over the years, he’s made frequent visits back to Michigan, were he grew up, making sure to spend time with his relative, whose life spanned more than a century of history.

When she turned 110, she took on special status as a supercentenarian, individuals tracked by an organization called the Gerontology Research Group, which publishes a verified and constantly updated list of those 110 or older.

In recent years, Hattie Lafayette has been moving up the list. A little more than a month ago, she became the 10th oldest person in the U.S. She was also No. 2 in Michigan and No. 21 in the world, having jumped from No. 31 in just a few weeks.

She still held those spots yesterday when she died at 112 years, 165 days.

The trip to Michigan for her funeral will be a sad one, Williams says, but it’s tempered by the knowledge that she had a long and healthy life, one filled with memories she freely shared of growing up in Alabama and trips around that state with her father — including one when he tried unsuccessfully to shield her from seeing a roadside lynching victim.

Her memories will live on, preserved by her family, Williams says, and in many news accounts of her life and longevity.