Mary Josephine Ray was 114 years and 294 days old when she died yesterday, Sunday March 7 2010; she was born May 17 1895. Mary Josephine Ray had held the title for the oldest person in the U.S. since 11 September 2009 when Gertrude Baines died; Mary Josephine Ray was the second oldest verified living person in the world, prior to her death. The title for the oldest person living in the U.S. now passes to Neva Morris who is 114 years and 216 days old.
About Mary Josephine Ray
Mary Josephine Ray was actually born in Prince Edward Island, Canada but came to the U.S. at three years of age. She lived in Maine, Florida, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Mary Josephine Ray had been a widow since 1967, following the death of her husband, Walter; she is survived by two sons, eight grandchildren, thirteen great-grand children and five great-great grandchildren.
Some of the world's longest living women
The record for the world's longest living person seems to favor women over men; some claims are disputed (possibly because of lack of birth records) but some of the verified holders to the title of the world's oldest people include:
- Jeanne Calment – 122 years, 164 days – died August 4 1997 (France)
- Sarah Knauss – 119 years, 97 days – died December 30 1999 (United States)
- Marie-Louise Meilleur – 117 years, 230 days – died April 16 1998 (Canada)
- Charlotte Hughes – 115 years, 228 days – died March 17 1993 (United Kingdom)
- Emiliano Mercado del Toro – 115 years, 156 days – died January 24 2007 (Puerto Rico).
The secrets to a long life
Mary Josephine Ray's paternal grandmother, Agnes Arsenault, died in 1909 at the age of 97; apparently part of the secret to longevity lies in inherited genes. Although there are no 'tried and tested' or foolproof ways to a guarantee of a long life, long life secrets cited by some of the world's longest living people have included:
- clean living – lack of alcohol/alcohol in moderation and not smoking
- exercise
- sleep
- balanced diet
- lack of stress.
Long livers don't suffer from stress
Stress, a common factor in modern day life, is something which the majority of long livers seem able to overcome; although some long livers have indulged in a life of alcohol and smoking, the New England Centenarian Study, which studied people over 100 years of age, said that stress (or lack of) was one common denominator that long livers seemed to be able to overcome more easily than those who died at a younger age.
CopyrightSharonFalsetto2010
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