Jeralean Talley, World’s Oldest Person, Dies Aged 116

Jeralean Talley, the 116-year-old woman from Inkster, a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, passed away at her home on Wednesday, reports NBC News. According to the report, Jeralean was deemed the world’s oldest person. Talley’s death has been confirmed by her daughter, Thelma Holloway. According to Thelma, Jeralean was recently hospitalized and treated after fluid was detected in her lungs. However, she had returned home on Saturday and was seemingly fine until Wednesday when her health suddenly took a turn for the worse.

Incidentally, it was only last month that the Inquisitr had reported about the fact that Jeralean celebrated her 116th birthday in May. She had celebrated her 116th cake cutting ceremony at her church and a local office of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

According to the Gerontology Research Group, Jeralean was the world’s oldest person based on available records. As per official records, Talley was born in Montrose, Georgia, in 1899. Jeralean had the rare opportunity to see three centuries. She reportedly moved to Michigan back in the 1930’s — well over a decade before World War II. Her husband, Alfred Talley, with whom she spent 52 years, passed away in 1988 at the age of 95. Thelma Holloway is the couple’s only daughter. It was in April that Jeralean became the world’s oldest person following the death of Gertrude Weaver, who herself held the record for just a few days. Jeralean held the record for almost two months until her death.

Among the several questions that were asked to her, she was frequently asked about her secret to living so long. Over the past several years, she had only one answer: It’s god’s grace. In fact, she didn’t have much advice to give on how to live a long life. Talley’s answer remained constant over the years. Until her death, Jeralean Talley lived a very active lifestyle. She went fishing every summer, gardened, mowed her lawn, and even bowled until the age of 104.

Following Jeralean’s death, the title of the world’s oldest person now goes to Susannah Jones from Brooklyn, New York. Susannah is currently aged 115 and will turn 116 on July 6. She was born in 1899, and like Jeralean, belongs to a select group of people who have lived across three centuries.

Our condolences are with the family of Jeralean. Funeral arrangements for Jeralean are pending.

[Image Via HNGN]