In a life that spans the 19th, 20th and now 21st century, Detroit resident Jeralean Talley at the age of 115 is America’s oldest living citizen. Talley was born on May 23, 1899 in Montrose, Georgia and moved to Michigan in 1935. Born at a time when blacks had very few legal rights, she now lives in a time where America has a black president. When asked by the Detroit Free Press why she has lived so long, she responded “It’s all in the good Lord’s hands. There’s nothing I can do about it.” Talley stated she still gets around, although not quite as much, with the help of her walker.
The Gerontology Research Group stated that only about one in five million people reach the age of 110 and get classified as a super-centenarian. The United States has an estimated 74 persons who are at least 111 and worldwide, there are anywhere from 300 to 450 people who are in this category. Talley has also been verified as the second oldest living person in the world behind a woman from Japan, Misao Okawa, who is 116.
