# Who was the oldest person you ever knew? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 21, 2012, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-oldest-person-you-ever-knew/622670 "2012-05-21T23:55:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b19c9b/32.png) [@A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Sniveling_Mess)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-oldest-person-you-ever-knew/622670/21 "2012-05-22T02:32:10Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > My grandmother lived to be 100 years old. We had a big party on her hundredth birthday; she died about eight months later. > > I was very close to her growing up but unfortunately she started developing dementia in her 90s and was almost completely gone from reality by the time she turned 100. I’m sorry to hear about your grandmother’s disease.Several of my relatives have had Alzheimer’s disease,so I feel particular sympathy for anyone who has problems with that or dementia.Thanks for sharing. ---
**Author:** ![surrounded\_by\_literalists](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8baadc/32.png) [@surrounded\_by\_literalists](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/surrounded_by_literalists)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-oldest-person-you-ever-knew/622670/22 "2012-05-22T02:48:29Z")
I have a patient who is 100 yrs old. When she filled out a form at a Dr.s office she listed her general health as ‘fair’. I told her that at 100, since she lives in her own home, walked into a doctors office, and is filling out her own paperwork, it would be more accurate to bypass ‘excellent’ and write down ‘AWESOME!’ So she did. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-oldest-person-you-ever-knew/622670/23 "2012-05-22T03:01:28Z")
My grandfather was 106 when he died in 1996 and was sharp as a tack until the day he died. His wife, my grandmother, was 97 when she died My father is 88 and still going strong. I have good genes, which is probably why I’m still alive even though I take shit care of my body. His obituary is [4th one down](http://showcase.netins.net/web/dockhorn/obits/mcgg/1996/m96mar1.htm), Harry I. Thompson. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-oldest-person-you-ever-knew/622670/24 "2012-05-22T03:06:43Z")
Had a friend who died at 106. [Here he is a couple years earlier.](http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080920&content_id=3515118&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc) Shot his last nine holes of golf at 98. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-oldest-person-you-ever-knew/622670/25 "2012-05-22T04:14:26Z")
My paternal grandmother lived to 94. I know this because on her 94th birthday, I did the math wrong and congratulated her on being 96. ( :eek: ) But really, when you’re in your 90s what difference does a couple years make? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-oldest-person-you-ever-knew/622670/26 "2012-05-22T04:20:34Z")
Someone I knew well would have to be my grandmother who lived to be 99. She was usually the oldest person I knew throughout my life. I’m sure I met some older people here and there, but no one I could I say I knew well. I had a cousin who lived to be 109 (maybe, not sure), but I only met her once. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-oldest-person-you-ever-knew/622670/27 "2012-05-22T07:31:24Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > played dominos and checkers and other board games like Carom and Crokinole Was the Princess of Monaco ever in attendance? 😃 I suppose the person I know best would be my grandmother, still going strong at 97. She, in turn, knew a couple of sisters from the town where she grew up, the elder of whom was born in 1889. Both knew her (Grandma’s) great-grandfather fairly well. I met them both on more than one occasion, but didn’t really know them well. Otherwise I would have said it was them, as they both lived past 100. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-oldest-person-you-ever-knew/622670/28 "2012-05-22T08:50:08Z")
The oldest person I’ve known personally was, unlike most of these replies, not a relative. I can’t say I knew her particularly well, though I patronized her business semi-reguarly over a couple decades. She was, though “moderately famous” - [Evelyn “Mama Bird” Johnson](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evelyn_Johnson) who passed away this month at 102. ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-oldest-person-you-ever-knew/622670/29 "2012-05-22T09:00:29Z")
My grandma’s mom was 100 years old, when she died. I knew another person who lived to 100.The secret of his longevity was the leaves of [neem](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azadirachta_indica) that he ate every morning . ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-oldest-person-you-ever-knew/622670/30 "2012-05-22T10:31:58Z")
Grandmaman’s 97 and still kicking. Almost literally - they’ve got her building under lockdown due to a pneumonia outbreak, and she’s about ready to lose her shit if they don’t let her out to go shopping. ---
**Author:** ![Wargamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Wargamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wargamer)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-oldest-person-you-ever-knew/622670/31 "2012-05-22T14:06:21Z")
My wife’s grandmother, who is 104 and still going strong. My m-i-l took her to the doctor’s a couple of months ago and told the doctor that she had been telling strangers she was 105 and asked the doctor what she should do about it. The doc said, Nothing, let her tell them that!" ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-oldest-person-you-ever-knew/622670/32 "2012-05-22T14:12:57Z")
I guess we’ll get a lot of grandparents as they are the ones we can reasonably sure of their age. I remember when I was young seeing what I thought were really old people- they were about 40. I dont think I have met anyone who was over 100. ---
**Author:** ![A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b19c9b/32.png) [@A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Sniveling_Mess)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-oldest-person-you-ever-knew/622670/33 "2012-05-22T14:39:04Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > My paternal grandmother lived to 94. I know this because on her 94th birthday, I did the math wrong and congratulated her on being 96. ( :eek: ) But really, when you’re in your 90s what difference does a couple years make? 🙂 Did she get mad when you said that?My grandmother _really_ doesn’t like people to know her actual age,so I can hardly imagine what she’d do if I padded on another 2 years to her it.😃 ---
**Author:** ![brewha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-oldest-person-you-ever-knew/622670/34 "2012-05-22T14:55:31Z")
My Great Grandmother lived to be 107. She passed away in 1994. I can’t imagine how much she saw the world change. She was 16 when the Wright brothers first flew. She remembered it well last time I talked to her. She actually lived by herself and took care of her garden until she was 101. Then, she fell on the stairs and broke her hip - despite family discouraging her from going up stairs. She spent the rest of her life in a nursing home but had her wits the entire time. ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-oldest-person-you-ever-knew/622670/35 "2012-05-22T15:15:50Z")
Oh, I’d like to add that my great uncle (not related by blood, he’s my grandmother’s sister’s widower) is 99 and still going strong. Driving, walking a mile or two a day, going out for social events, eats like a horse, etc. It would not surprise me if he lived to 105+. ---
**Author:** ![A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b19c9b/32.png) [@A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Sniveling_Mess)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-oldest-person-you-ever-knew/622670/36 "2012-05-22T17:19:58Z")
> [@markdash](#): > > Oh, I’d like to add that my great uncle (not related by blood, he’s my grandmother’s sister’s widower) is 99 and still going strong. Driving, walking a mile or two a day, going out for social events, eats like a horse, etc. It would not surprise me if he lived to 105+. Wow-99 and still going strong.I’m decades younger than that and I’m barely "going"at all.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-oldest-person-you-ever-knew/622670/37 "2012-05-22T17:38:56Z")
Two weeks ago I took a picture of my daughter and her great-great-aunt on her 99th birthday. The notion that Aunt Sophie won’t be there for her 100th next year is absolutely laughable. She’s chronologically the oldest I know, but I know many people much, much _older_ than she is. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-oldest-person-you-ever-knew/622670/38 "2012-05-24T17:33:16Z")
I personally knew a woman who lived to 105 (I think, may have been 104 or 106). She was a family friend, and we named our daughter after her. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-oldest-person-you-ever-knew/622670/39 "2012-05-24T17:52:18Z")
My grandmother-in-law is probably 98, but might be older. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![dngnb8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@dngnb8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dngnb8)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-oldest-person-you-ever-knew/622670/40 "2012-05-24T17:54:51Z")
> [@JRyan35](#): > > I guess the title is pretty self-explanatory,but I’d like to add a few requirements: > 1.The person had to have been born before 1925; > 2.The person had to have been at least 80 years old;and > 3.In order to qualify,either you had to have known the person well,or they had to have been at least somewhat famous. > Sorry for being so picky.All replies will be appreciated,and thanks for coming to the thread. My wifes Great Uncle. he died at 98 Additionally, my MIL’s family at one point had 2 sisters living over the age of 100, and just missed having 3 over the age of 100 all alive at the dame time. I never had met them. 1 sister died at 104 with her sibling 102 and other sibling at 99 and 10 months. 2 more months and we would have had 3 sisters all living and all 100 or over in the family tree [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-oldest-person-you-ever-knew/622670.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-oldest-person-you-ever-knew/622670.md?page=3)