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Wolf Hopper
11-13-2003, 04:23 PM
I wonder if she said "I'll never make the mistake of being 114 again"?

http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,7863890%255E1702,00.html

MITOYO Kawate, reputed to be the world's oldest person, died in Hiroshima overnight at the age of 114, less than two weeks after taking over the title from another Japanese woman.

Kawate survived her exposure to radiation from the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima, worked on her farm until the age of 99 and spent her last 10 years at a nursing home in the western Japan city.

She succumbed to pneumonia at a hospital at around noon after she was taken there by ambulance from the nursing home with a fever, according to Kazuo Hashimoto, head of the facility.


Here was the oldest before her, who died two weeks ago:

http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,7734271%255E13780,00.html

KAMATO Hongo, the world's oldest person, died last night at the age of 116, after a life that saw three different centuries and with her sense of humour intact until her last days.

She succumbed to heart and kidney problems resulting from pneumonia at the municipal hospital in the city of Kagoshima, 950km southwest of Tokyo, a hospital spokesman said.

"As a sort of farewell, she performed her favourite hand dance yesterday while lying in bed before her next of kin. She knew that her time was near," her 47-year-old grandson Tsuyoshi Kurauchi said by telephone.

"She passed away while all of us watched her," he added.

Guinness Book of Records named Hongo the oldest person in the world in March last year, following the death of the previous record-holder Maude Farris-Luse of the United States at the age of 115 years and 56 days.

Hongo, famous for her habit of sleeping two days in a row and staying awake for the next two in her last bedridden years, was admitted to the hospital near her home with a fever three weeks ago.

Ytown Tribe fan
11-14-2003, 05:51 PM
She is succeeded by a gal I actually see from time-to-time, Frau Charlotte Benkner, who lives 3 miles down the road in North Lima (pronounced "LIE-muh", like the bean).

The Vindicator did a nice write-up (http://www.vindy.com/local_news/279113373687027.php) of Frau Benkner, who lives with her sister Tillie in a nursing home. My nephew Mike was an aide there right out of high school and she was teaching him German on occasion before he moved on to other work.

She's taking the news pretty much in stride, which is what a person well over 100 would likely do. For the occasion, my wife Karen is making Frau Charlotte's favorite strudel recipe, which she got from Mike, and we're taking it out to her tomorrow. I guess the place will be roped-off on Sunday when all the bigwigs come to town to officially "celebrate" her birthday. President Bush was even invited, but who knows if he'll show.

Wolf Hopper
11-15-2003, 10:57 AM
Wow! Great story.

"Frau Benkner" huh? Hope she's better looking than "Frau Blucher"! ;)

{insert horse neigh here}