Oldest person you ever knew?

[tonyb]

We called him Uncle Ed, on account of his being my stepfather's mother's uncle. I lived part of the summer of 1968 in the same Eudora, Kansas house as that grandmother, and her husband Bud, and my cousin Eddie from Atlanta, and Uncle Ed, who was 98 then. He was born in 1870, and never married. I was told he was still quite sharp and independent (he lived in a walk-up, they told me) until a couple of years earlier. By the time I had met him, well, he was well on his way out. I doubt he remembered who I was from day to day. He had good genes for longevity, I suppose, but at least some of his staying power could be attributed to his taking such good care of himself. When he died, something like a year after that time I spent with him, he still had his own teeth. Four of them, I think it was.

 

[davestlouis]

The oldest person I knew personally was my paternal step-grandmother...she died at 96, and didn't look any different than she did when she was 75. Little tiny woman, mean as a snake, cold, unfeeling old farm woman from central Kentucky. If you weren't German Catholic, forget it. She was a seething cauldron of bigotry...hated Jews, blacks, and most of all, Italians and Irish. When I married my first wife, grandma refused to attend, or send a gift, because my bride to be was Lutheran.

We bury the occasional 100+ year old at the funeral home, had one recently who had been a Radio City Music Hall Rockette in the 30s, had big pictures up in the parlor. We had a 98 year old gentleman laid out recently, his wife is sprightly and sharp as a tack at 97, his daughter is 75, and in poor health. I dealth with the 50 year old granddaughter for the arrangements.

I'm dealing with a couple on their prearrangements who married 60+ years ago...she's 101, he's 81. Can you imagine what a scandal that caused...a 21 year old man married what amounted to a middle-aged woman?

 

[December]

My mum's grandma lived to about 98.

I haven't known many old people. I think the second oldest person was my Grandad who died at 78.

 

[davestlouis]

As an aside, the vast majority of people I see who live to be really old, are also really thin, and have always been thin. We did have a 98 year old man recently who was 265 Lbs, and had been a beefy man his whole life. My point is this...if you intend to be one of these really old people, being chubby is an obstacle to making that age. And that advice is coming from someone who could stand to lose a few

 

[Rola]

My great grandmother Julia. She was born in 1902

After visiting my Grandma Sophie today I can show you something: Bydgoszcz, Poland; the year must be ~1930, judging from my Grandma's age (that little kid that looks like my Mom in that age, sans glasses) - easy math: take 1925 and add her years on the photo
So my Great-grandmother has to be around my age here! A railway worker's wife. She always looked a bit like a Balkan or Gipsy woman to me: dark hair, dark eyes, slightly darker complexion, shape of lips...

EDIT: Thanks to the wonders of digital libraries of the Internet and the nice people at another forum I can tell you we're here:
http://audiovis.nac.gov.pl/obraz/23655/5f43087c029d6947f24664c631904559/

 

[Hemingway Jones]

I knew a woman in Maine who was 99. I once told her that I saw the grave of Buffalo Bill when I was in CO. She said, "Oh yeah, well I saw Buffalo Bill!" There's some perspective.

 

[dhermann1]

That reminds me of my friend whose cousin was 89 in 1975. She told us all about going to the Chicago Exposition of 1893. Whew.

 

[FountainPenGirl]

I've actually known a number of people who became quite old. One that I was close to was my GreatGrandmother. She lived to 93 years old. She always had younger people around her. It seemed to keep her vital and sharp. She was born around 1880. Think of the contrast in that lifetime. From horse and buggys, no electricity or plumbing to seeing a man on the moon.

 

[Chainsaw]

Great grandmother lived to her late nintes. My Grandmother is 85' and she still cut's the grass with a lawn mower.

My old Martial Arts teacher is in his mid-to lates seventies, and still has arms like Tyson. He could thorw you clear over his head, while drinking a cup of coffee.

 

[Sincerely-Dee]

The oldest person I know is a lady who goes to the same church as I do and she's around 97.

I also know a lady who showed me her concentration camp tattoo.

 

[Silver Dollar]

The oldest person I ever knew was my grandmother. She came to this country in 1903 along with my grandfather and one uncle. She died at 97. She was still 100% with it and was even still cooking all the old country food at 95. At that point, the senility set in and she died 2 years later.

Dee, you mention that you knew a lady who was in a concentration camp. My entire family, both on my mother's and father's side that stayed in Eastern Europe was killed in the camps and never survived the war. I still have no idea why they deserved such punishment. Unfortunately, the generation that went through that horrible experience is fast dying out. I say unfortunately because those people are the only witnesses left that can testify that the Holocaust was real. I just hope there'll be enough people around to fight the revisionists who are trying to disavow the whole thing. Just think of how bad things would be if they tried to convince us all that slavery in the US never existed. Very sad.

 

[Sincerely-Dee]

I'm so sorry to hear that your family were so personally affected during the war.

Holocaust deniers - I don't even begin to know where to start with them. How ludicrous is it to say that thousands of people are lying about what happened during this terrible time.

 

[fortworthgal]

Growing up, we had a 'neighbor' (I use the term loosely as we lived in a very rural area and the closest neighbor was a mile away) who was close to 100. Her name was Drusilla, but we called her Drusy. I don't remember much about her other than a few stories about growing up on her farm here in Texas and the occasional "wild west" outlaw stopping by their farm, and also her stories of the Great Depression really stuck with me. She would eat an onion just like it was an apple - pick it up, peel off the skin, and bite into it! She said that was a holdover from the depression.

Now, one old gent I had the honor of meeting was at the Griffith Observatory wile working on a Monday night to a private event for the Air Force. I met two Doolittle Raiders! The first gent I met was in the 7th B-25 and the second man I met was Doolittle’s co-pilot! We chatted about the B-25 a little; he was rather impressed with my knowledge of the plane. We chatted and shook hands and I just mentioned to him of the extreme privilege it was to meet him and the others; he was touched.

This must have been Dick Cole, and yes, he is a lovely person!!!

 

[pretty faythe]

When I was in high school I did volunteer visits at a day care (stupid term) for senior citizens. One man was 102.
This isn't the oldest person I new, but basically the same service, I did home visits with this woman who lived on her own, I guess so they'd have company....anyway, her name was also Faith, I think she was in her late 80s. We had a lot in common then...she was all into art, painting, etc. I was too in high school.

 

[Shangas]

**Drumroll, please...**​

Today, my dear, darling, lovable grandmother of at least six grandchildren and at least three great-grandchildren, celebrates her...

NINETY-SIXTH (96)th BIRTHDAY!!!​

Date of Birth: 7th May, 1914.

Love you granny...:eusa_clap

 

[Hepville]

My wifes grandmother is now in her 104th year.

 

[Babydoll]

The oldest person I know is my 94-years-young Grannie. She was born January 2, 1916. I took my almost three month old daughter to visit her yesterday. My mom was there as well. We took a photo of four generations of the women from my family.

I hope we all live long lives like Grannie!

 

[Shangas]

A beautiful photo, Babydoll.

I'm amazed at the facial resemblance between you, your mother and grandmother! You all have the same nose!!

 

[Puzzicato]

**Drumroll, please...**​

Today, my dear, darling, lovable grandmother of at least six grandchildren and at least three great-grandchildren, celebrates her...

NINETY-SIXTH (96)th BIRTHDAY!!!​

Date of Birth: 7th May, 1914.

Love you granny...:eusa_clap

Happy Birthday, Granny Shangas!

 

[CaramelSmoothie]

The oldest person I know is now 98, she will be 99 in November. She was born in 1911. She is still mentally there, but her short term memory is not that great. But you can sit down and hold an intelligent conversation with her.