We tend make a big deal about the big 4-0 or the big 5-0, but that’s nothing compared to Jeralean Talley, the world’s oldest living person, celebrated the big 1-1-6 on Saturday in Inkster, Michigan.
Born in 1899, Talley has lived through the turn of two centuries and 20 different presidents. The most recent presidents sent Talley a special birthday greeting, according to the Detroit Free Press.
“The breadth of your experiences and depth of your wisdom reflect the long path our Nation has traveled since 1899,” President Barack Obama wrote in a letter to Talley. “During this time, there have been setbacks and breakthroughs, false starts and improbable victories, and through it all our country’s spirit has endured — strengthened and enriched by each generation.”
Talley celebrated her birthday twice, including a Sunday party at her church, New Jerusalem Missionary Baptist. The Gerontology Research Group considers her to be the oldest person in the world, based on available records, followed by…
…Susannah Jones of Brooklyn, New York, who turns 116 in July.
Talley bowled until she was 104 and still likes to catch fish. A daughter, Thelma Holloway, that her mother still has a sharp mind.
She was born in Montrose, Georgia, in 1899 and moved to Michigan in the 1930s. Talley’s husband died in 1988 at age 95.
So what’s this elderly woman’s secret to a long life? She says she thanks God for her life and says that it doesn’t really hurt that she doesn’t put any cream into her coffee or eat any butter.
“Her No. 1 rule is to treat people how you want to be treated,” said godson Tyler Kinloch, 21, who fishes with her. “I definitely carry that with me every single day.”
For more on how to live a long life, click here.
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