Oldest American dies at 114, planning birthday
Source: Agencies |
March 10, 2010, Wednesday
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Print Edition
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TWO of the oldest people in the world have died on the same day.
Mary Josephine Ray, who was certified as the oldest person living in the United States, died on Sunday aged 114 years, 294 days. She died at a nursing home in Westmoreland, New Hampshire, but was active until about two weeks before her death, her granddaughter Katherine Ray said.
"She just enjoyed life. She never thought of dying at all," Ray said. "She was planning for her birthday party."
Her grandmother died just hours before Daisey Bailey, who was 113 years, 342 days, said L. Stephen Coles, a director of the Gerontology Research Group, which tracks and studies old people and certifies those 110 or older, called supercentenarians.
"It's very rare that two of our supercentenarians die on the same day," Coles said.
Bailey, who was born on March 30, 1896, died in Detroit, he said. She had suffered from dementia, said her family, which claimed she was born in 1895.
Ray, even with her recent decline, managed an interview with a reporter last week, her granddaughter said.
Ray was the oldest person in the United States and the second-oldest in the world, the Gerontology Research Group said. She also was recorded as the oldest person ever to live in New Hampshire.
The oldest living American is now Neva Morris, of Ames, Iowa, at age 114 years, 216 days. The oldest person in the world is Japan's Kama Chinen at age 114 years, 301 days.
Ray was born on May 17, 1895, in Bloomfield, Prince Edward Island, Canada. She moved to the United States aged 3.
She lived for 60 years in Anson, Maine, and had eight grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
Mary Josephine Ray, who was certified as the oldest person living in the United States, died on Sunday aged 114 years, 294 days. She died at a nursing home in Westmoreland, New Hampshire, but was active until about two weeks before her death, her granddaughter Katherine Ray said.
"She just enjoyed life. She never thought of dying at all," Ray said. "She was planning for her birthday party."
Her grandmother died just hours before Daisey Bailey, who was 113 years, 342 days, said L. Stephen Coles, a director of the Gerontology Research Group, which tracks and studies old people and certifies those 110 or older, called supercentenarians.
"It's very rare that two of our supercentenarians die on the same day," Coles said.
Bailey, who was born on March 30, 1896, died in Detroit, he said. She had suffered from dementia, said her family, which claimed she was born in 1895.
Ray, even with her recent decline, managed an interview with a reporter last week, her granddaughter said.
Ray was the oldest person in the United States and the second-oldest in the world, the Gerontology Research Group said. She also was recorded as the oldest person ever to live in New Hampshire.
The oldest living American is now Neva Morris, of Ames, Iowa, at age 114 years, 216 days. The oldest person in the world is Japan's Kama Chinen at age 114 years, 301 days.
Ray was born on May 17, 1895, in Bloomfield, Prince Edward Island, Canada. She moved to the United States aged 3.
She lived for 60 years in Anson, Maine, and had eight grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
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