SHELBYVILLE, Ind. -- Friends of the world's tallest woman said she told them she was tired and that she was ready to go before passing away at a Shelbyville nursing home early Wednesday.

Sandy Allen's caregivers told 6News' Cheryl Jackson the 53-year-old's 7-foot-7 frame had put a strain on her health recently. Allen used a wheelchair because of poor circulation and weak leg muscles.

Still, friends said her positive outlook stayed constant through the end.

"Growing up being that tall, she obviously got some ridicule. She always took it in stride, never ill-tempered. She was a real nice person, she really was," said Tim Turner, who went to school with Allen.

Allen weighed 6.5 pounds when she was born in June 1955. By the age of 10, she had grown to be 6 feet 3 inches, and was 7 feet 1 inch by the time she was 16.

She wrote to Guinness World Records in 1974, saying she would like to get to know someone her own height.

Friends said if she ever showed a sad moment about her height, it was because she felt it kept her from getting married.

"It was hard being so tall and not having anybody to date and people always looking at her funny," said nursing home worker Bobbi McLane.

Allen often spoke to local churches and school groups, letting children know that it was OK to be different.

Many of her mementos and specialty-sized clothing are expected to be auctioned off, with proceeds going to Allen's education foundation.

The cause of Allen's death was not immediately available and funeral arrangements are pending.