The oldest person I’m aware of is my paternal grandmother, who’s 80.
This doesn’t mean we’re a bunch of mayflies or something- my maternal grandmother passed away at 82, after having smoked for 40 years (she quit at 70) and was diabetic for 30. I figure without those two she’d have made it LOTS farther. Her husband(my granddad) lived to 83.
Generally speaking, if you’re a woman in my family, you’re golden. 83 is considered an early death. Men on the other hand… 83 is fairly old. For some reason, we tend to croak in our 70s. (I’m 32, so I have a ways to go yet)
I have a great aunt on my mother’s side who is damn near close to 100. I think she’s 97 or 98. She’s in great physical shape and mentally sharp, as well. She still works out in her garden in the summer and bakes the best damn crescent rolls on earth.
I have an aunt who is going to be 99 this year–if she’s still alive. See, she won’t communicate with the rest of the family due to an incident that happened in 1920 (helluva long time to carry resentment if you ask me.) Some distant cousins keep in touch with her and none of them have told us she died, so we assume she’s still in the land of the living.
I have a few great-aunts floating around who are over 100. Great-aunt Nell was 103 last birthday. However, her younger brother, my grandad, died in his 70’s. So as long as you weren’t male and didn’t smoke or work in a flour-mill (I’m none of these things), you had a good chance of becoming a centenarian in my dad’s family.
My mum’s family tends to keel over in their 60’s and 70’s due to heart disease. I’m hoping I take after Nell.
My great-grandmother (well, technically speaking, step-great-grandmother, but after a few generations those distinctions tend to blur) turned 104 in November. She was in reasonably good shape up until 96 or so, but she’s pretty much out of it now
