How Old Would You Be if You Didn’t Know How Old You Was? 

~ Satchel Page

Let’s begin to look deep and see ourselves seventy or fifty or even thirty years from now. Is living to 100 possible? Is there a Fountain of Youth? 

Today’s Centenarians ask us to follow and learn.  

Victor Frankl comments “life achieves meaning when it serves as an example to others.” 

Let this information inspire you to become an example to others. 

The Greatest Fully-Authenticated Age 

2002 Guinness Book of World Records – states that Madam Jeanne Louise Calment of France is the World’s Oldest Person Who Ever Lived.  

122 years and 164 days is the greatest fully-authenticated age to
which any human has ever lived.  

Here are a few examples of others who have celebrated a century of life from the Adam Clark Bible Commentary Records: 

Agnes Schner 1499 died at age 114

Countess Desmen 1612 died at age 145. (Records show her teeth grew back three times.) 

Henry Jenkins often swam the river when he was over 100. He lived to 169 and died in 1670. 

Reverend Lawrence from Oklahoma was still preaching, working in his yard and getting up early each morning to prepare sermons at age 104. 

“Granny”, who lived to 112, left this advice, “Be lively – just as easy to be lively as biting others head off. Trust in God, don’t worry and read the Bible. I don’t care much for TV,” Granny said. “Used to watch ‘As the World Turn’ but I stopped this.” “Granny” remained in almost perfect health all of her days. 

Jackson Pollack of Georgia lived to be 124 and died in 1991. Jackson says, “Trust in God. He will pull you through.” 

Thomas Parr, who lived to 152 in 1635, married his first wife at 88. They had two children. He had an affair at 102 and had an illegitimate child. At 120 he married a widow woman. At 130 he still did all the farm work.

Other Centenarians 

Others are written about in Lynn Peters Adler’s book: Centenarians – The Bonus Years: 

Edward Hanau, 100, of St. Louis, is still working at a manufacturing plant and is proud of his record of never having missed a day’s work in his adult life.

Reverend David Moore, 100, of Roswell, New Mexico, makes about thirty visits per week at nursing homes and hospitals bringing comfort and fellowship to those less fortunate.
 

Mabel Correa of Oakland, CA has been sustained by her deep faith. She has faced much sorrow and adversity. She has an ability to see the worst in complete realism, but to believe in the best.

Dr. Heidelberger was still working on research and still lecturing at age 100.

At age 85 Oscar Wilmeth decided he wanted to live to 100.
A near fatal car wreck and many more obstacles came to stop him. At 98 he booked a ballroom for his Centenarian Celebration. “I did everything I could to take care of myself and tried to get information on the latest developments in vitamins and all those new fangled devices to help with function, short of a wheelchair – I drew the line there.” Living to 100 was his goal and he achieved it.

Henry Hayes at age 114 continues to live alone, enjoying the benefits of cataract surgery at 108.