Monday, March 8, 2010

NH: Live Free... For a Long Time

New Hampshire’s ‘Mary Jo’ dies at age 114
Mary Jo Ray - the second oldest person in the world - has died at the Maplewood County Nursing Home in Westmoreland, N.H. at age 114, the New Hampshire Union Leader is reporting.

Mary Josephine, born on May 17, 1895, died early yesterday. She was recognized by the Gerontology Research Group as the second oldest living person in the world at the time, the Union Leader reported.

Rest in Peace, Mary Jo. The mind boggles to think of what has come - and gone - entirely within your lifespan. When you were born, the United States was barely 30 years out of its most bloody conflict. We were still a shaky newcomer on the world stage, still two decades away from joining in The Great War. You watched as we weathered the Great Depression, won WWII and the Cold War, and were attacked on our soil on 9/11. You've watched horses get replaced by automobiles and telegraph replaced by telephones - now cellular. In your 114 years you've seen some of the best of humanity, and some of the worst.

One thing is clear - breathing in free air helps you live longer.

That is all.

7 comments:

PISSED said...

114 years old will be another 67 years for me...2077..

Think about what this place will be like then..?

She was born in 1896, its amazing to think about some more of the things that has happened... the titanic sank, the wright brothers flew, it wasnt even 100 years since Lewis and Clark explored the route to the west,life expectancy was mid to late 40's,..

Heres a cool list of inventions over the last 100 years

http://inventors.about.com/od/timelines/a/twentieth.htm

Borepatch said...

Or you could look at the similarities: in another 114 years, the Winchester 1895 will still be a fine rifle.

O H Bark said...

Free air makes you live longer? Damn, us Limeys ain't got long then... :(

wolfwalker said...

When you were born, the United States was barely 30 years out of its most bloody conflict.

Her grandfathers may even have fought in that war. How many living people can say they've spoken personally with a Civil War veteran?

Old NFO said...

Her PARENTS could have fought in the Civil War... She saw more in her life than mankind had to date... RIP Mary Jo, RIP...

SpeakerTweaker said...

This post wins the Best Post Title award. That's just funny as hell!



tweaker

New Jovian Thunderbolt said...

She's born, and birds are all that are in the sky. At the end of her life. F-22s and Boeing 777's... Million of people going through the air north of 400 mpg every year.

And complaining when it takes an extra hour to get to Miami.