Poetic Obituaries: Possibly the nation's oldest voter,

he told The Bee then, "I think he's great, because he's black. Because the white people thought the Negro would never be promoted. I think it's beautiful."

Influenced by civil rights leader Booker T. Washington, who once spoke to his third-grade class, and later by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Mr. [George] Francis embraced equality without anger.

He often dramatically recited his favorite poem, "The Black Man's Plea for Justice," but he never taught his children bigotry or prejudice, said his daughter Lelia Francis Larue.

from The Sacramento Bee: Nation's oldest man, 112, dies in Sacramento

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