Oldest person you ever knew?

[Hamilton_Honey]

The oldest people I have known personally were my great-grandparents. They both kept going strong into their 90s and were bright-minded til the end.

My current oldest person is a new friend I just made here in Arizona. His name is George (same as my great grandfather!) and he was born in 1920, which makes him 89 this month. I have a date with him this Saturday to attend the Christmas dinner and awards at the brand new fire house here in town - he was a fire-fighter for a while after he moved here from Iowa.

I just had lunch with George yesterday while we were running some errands together and he told me about an incident in his childhood that was dramatically shaping. His mother was Apache and his father German - he doesn't know how they met, but when he was growing up, his father became a terrible alcoholic and unfortunately he took it out on his wife. One day his father came home drunk and started in on George's mother, so he went into the other room and got the rifle, cocked and aimed at his dad and said not to hit his mother again or he'd just as soon kill him. Apparently that was the last time that ever happened. George was around 12 or 13 at the time he says - I say that was a mighty scary and brave thing to do for such a young man.

I have to keep on my toes around George - he is really sharp and a terrible tease. He can really get me going

 

[Grant Fan]

Both of my great grand mothers. One was 95 and the other was 99, I come from long lived people on both sides

 

[Widebrim]

The oldest person who I guess I have ever known was my maternal grandmother. She was quite a remarkable person and one of the most influential on who I am today I guess.

She was born in 1890. At 13 she was sent from Europe to America by her parents to attend college. By 22 she had a doctorate. She was fluent in 10 languages and spoke more than that. In the early 1920's she was engaged to a young man who was to be a minister and they had agreed to go together after being married to Africa to be missionaries. At the last minute he backed out on the marriage and the mission job he had signed on for. So feeling it was her duty to adhere to her promises, she went to Africa alone.

She lived in Rhodesia (today Zimbabwe) and Mozambique. After arriving she ended up taking in several orphaned children. Never having intended to run an orphanage, one ended up being thrust upon her by necessity. This responsibility meant she had many mouths to feed and care for. She hunted the land herself with the help of village men she hired and taught farming to her help. She dispatched animals who came into the village to kill or ransack the food stores. She spent the next 20 years there raising children and educating them. In her last years when her hands were hurting too much to write I would write the letters for her to her children, now in their 70-80's.

In all she spent 35 years of her life in Africa and I will never forget the time I spent with her learning things I would never have otherwise learned. She left there for the last time after things went downhill in the early 1980's.

She was strong well into her 90's and we often went for hikes together in hilly wooded areas in her mid-90's. She physically went downhill after hitting 100, but her mind stayed sharp until her death at 104.

Great woman and great history...

 

[Mike in Seattle]

I just got a card with note from my 98 year old aunt - she drove herself, did her own shopping, weeded the flowerbeds and so forth until about 3 years ago. She took a spill, broke her wrist, and decided it was time to listen to her 75 and 74 year old "kids" and move to an assisted-living facility. And a friend's mother-in-law is 99 and sharp as a tack. You'd guess she's in her mid-70s, and we're all looking for a big party this summer for her 100th. And one of the volunteers who helps out at the theater is 95, rules the roost at her retirement center and gives the 20-somethings a run for their money.

 

[barra063]

The oldest person I knew was the man I bought all my trade tools from. he retired at 94 and only because the ol eyes were going and arthritis was getting to him as well. Other than that he was remarkably spritely and would run inside to answer the phone. He lived to 106

Barra

 

[Mountain Man]

Mr. Tom Naomi, the proprietor of "Tom's Grill" next to the Kress Building in downtown Asheville, NC, was the oldest actively employed person I ever knew. He opened his first restaurant sometime around 1922, and ran it and several others until he was 102 years old. He died one month after he retired! Tom was a native of Greece, and immigrated to the US right after World War One. He made the best hot dogs in town and was a true Asheville character! Rest in peace, my friend!

 

[Mountain Man]

There are bitter people who still grace the earth… its sad really. I once saw an old clip from the 30s from Mr. Ripley, he was in South Louisiana I believe and showed twin African American sisters who were 100+ then, their mother was 125 years old! Now, that is old!!!

I recall being in Canada in Saskatoon SK. There was a convalescent home where I volunteered once a week. A few other young men and I would go to talk with the seniors. I recall meeting this one old gent, he liked the way I dressed, that sparked him into telling me that he was a pilot for the RCAF and flew P-40s during WWII! He told me before the way he’d go dancing to all the big bands… he loved Frank Sinatra when he was with Tommy Dorsey! He loved the clarinet too… I had mine and brought it with me and played some Goodman tunes… he was so happy! And I even drew a picture of a P-40 with RCAF markings… he was so very happy!

I think I remember seeing that same clip on either TCM or the History Channel a few years ago - didn't the mother put one of the 100 year old daughters over her knee and pretend to give her a spanking??

 

[bzzboy]

That would have to be my maternal Grandmother. She'll be 93 this month.

She's truly from an earlier time. Never had a drivers license, and she's lived in the same house since 1945 when Grandpa got back from the War. (He served stateside since he was already married with kids [i guess]). He drove 6x6 in Texas and Colorado.

dMb

 

[lolly_loisides]

My Great Grandfather was 97 when he died. His secret to a long life was a daily rum & beer chaser accompanied by several cigars. I think there is something in that for all of us

 

[HannahJane]

The oldest person I ever knew was my maternal great grandmother. She was well into her 90s when she died. I was only about 11 at the time and I've always been sorry that I never knew her better.
She was very independent and strong minded, she only moved into a care home in her last few years after a nasty fall. Before that she lived on her own in a separate county!

 

[BinkieBaumont]

"my oldest Chum has just turned 90! and is quite demanding, calling me up asking if I can "Download" such and such, of course I try and help where I can!"

 

[ColeV48]

My Grandmother is turning 92 this year. She spent most of her life as a farmers wife in the country, but actually worked on "computers" in the 1940s!
My Grandfather, his sister, and his brother all lived to be 92 as well. Grandpa fought in WWII in N. Africa and Italy, loved travel, and was truly an amazing influence on a lot of people. He didn't fully retire from farming until his late 80s.
His sister lived in Cuba for a number of years, owning a sugar cane farm with her husband. They barely made it out when everything changed over (fortunately she was in FL when it happened). Fidel Castro actually grew up on their farm.
My great-uncle spent most of his life living in St. Croix, he was just a big of a jokester as my grandpa.
Needless to say, we have some great family stories!

 

[cupcake]

My paternal granmother, Violet Rose Benjamin (nee. Cashmore)
She's approaching 96 and still kicking on. Her eyesight is starting to go (she's requested we send her photos via email as she can blow them up bigger on a computer screen than a regular photo!) but she still regularly goes on trips with her friends.
Last month her sister, Emmie died at 97 after a long illness.
They always said you need to shoot the Cashmores to get rid of them but sadly now my nan is left with the greatest burden of a long life. She's now outlived all her siblings and her husband (Granddad died of leukemia almost 3 decades ago) and had to watch on eof her daughters struggle with cancer aswell. I certainly think she's a woman to be admired.

 

[Mr DP]

My Paternal Grandmother, Violet is 93. She still resides in her three-story victorian home. She gardens, and her orange poppies have been featured in our county newspaper on many occasions. Grandma just made us the most fabulous Christmas dinner, which she has been doing for as long as anyone can remember. She loves company, and insists you eat when you sit at her kitchen table. You might catch her on a day where she's prepared Hot Endive & Bacon. Rhubarb Pie, Sugar Pie, Homebaked Bread or any number of items from her garden. She is so much fun to talk to, and will discuss the "olden days", but she is more likely to be interested in talking about current events or her personal favorite....TRAVEL. Last Christmas she gave me a quilt her Grandmother had made, which is one of my most treasured posessions. Her home is amazing with beautiful antiques. My Brother's children (her great grandchilden) play with a Candyland game from early 1950's! I could go on and on about this wonderful Lady! One day, I'll ask her if I may borrow her photos long enough to scan and post on here. Amazing!

 

[RLM]

Wow, some of you are fortunate to have had your grandparents and great-grandparents around for so long. I think the oldest person I ever met was my wife's grandfather. He was over 90, but I don't remember exactly how old. We just met once briefly before he died. I have an aunt that will be 90 in September. She's by far the oldest person that I know of in my family tree. My last great-grandparent died when I was 2 and my grandparents were all gone by the time I was 23. None of them lived more than 83 years. As a rule, longevity doesn't run in my family. My mom died at 50 and my dad just short of 72.

 

[Ethan Bentley]

101 - my cousin's Great Grandma.

 

[Edw8ri]

My wife's great aunt is the oldest person I ever knew. She lived to be more than 100 and remained sharp as a tack and keenly interested in world events.

Here is the amazing thing, her father was a veteran of the Confederate army. And when she was a young school teacher, one of her students was the late Senator Jesse Helms.

Now that is a long life.

 

[docneg]

25 - Silver.
50 - Gold.
60 - Diamond.
75 - Platinum.

And I remember there were all these other anniversary names for like 5, 6, 10, 12 year anniversaries as well...like cotton and china and whatever...It was supposed to reflect the kind of anniversary present you were meant to give your wife/husband. Like on the 'China anniversary' it would be something like a new tea-set or on the 'Cotton anniversary' it would be a new dress-shirt for your husband, and so on and so forth...I found a website covering them all once, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was.

I remember when I was a kid seeing a double list, "traditional" and "modern" anniversaries; some were different. It's strange to think that more time has passed since the "modern" period started than had already passed in the "traditional" period when I read that! Geez, I'm getting old...

 

[Mid-fogey]

Well the oldest...

...would have been my uncle Clarence who lived to be 105. He was in WWI, and was one of the older guys in his unit. If you asked, he'd sing dirty songs about the Kaiser.

 

[Rola]

My great grandmother Julia. She was born in 1902, but even that isn't certain She died in 2007, that making her 105.
Unfortunately I can't hope to have longevity genes running in me as she was my maternal grandmother's step-mom.
Can't say many interesting things about her. She wasn't educated and never went to work - we'll, a housewife has a lot of work on her hand, but you know what I mean... I wish I could've "extracted" more memories from her, but her memory/mind wasn't in the best shape and she was easily influenced in such conversations (example: if I had asked her whether she had met Clark Gable, she'd say "why, yes, I did, sure I remember that!"). The fact that she was very strict to my grandma didn't help, either.

So I don't want to waste such opportunity with my grandma (85, my last surviving grandparent) - for example I'm trying to find a nice photoalbum of her home city to show it to her, hope this will work as a catalyst for bringing back memories.