The world's tallest living woman, Sandy Allen 53, who spent the last years of her life at a Shelbyville, Indiana, convalescent center, died early Wednesday.
Born with a tumor on her pituitary gland, she eventually reached the height of 7 feet, 7 1/4 inches, and spent much of her life enduring ridicule, stares, financial troubles, and, ultimately, health problems. However, she didn't let those setbacks get the better of her. She wrote a book and made speaking appearances, thanks to Guinness for recognizing her in 1975 as the world's tallest woman.
Allen lost the "tallest living woman" title in the early 1980s when Chinese teenager Zeng Jinlian (picture) took the title, being the only female in history, and one of only twelve people, to be over 8 feet tall (she was just under 8 feet, 2 inches). After Zeng Jinlian died, Allen regained the title.
Allen will be buried in an 8-foot-5-inch casket.
Funeral services will be held Sunday.
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(Photo, Indianapolis Star)
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