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 Last
Thursday, Guinness World Records named an American old lady as the
oldest person on Earth. Her name is Besse Cooper and she lives in
Georgia in the U.S. Can you guess her age? Of course
she is over 100 years old. To be exact, she is 114 years
and 6 months old. She became the world’s oldest living person after the death
of Eunice G. Sanborn of Jacksonville, Texas last month.
Mrs. Cooper was born in 1896 in Tennessee and her life is a living
history itself. She went through and witnessed so many important
historical events including two World Wars and the Great Depression. She also
has seen 21 different U.S. presidents from Grover Cleveland
to Barack Obama.
 During
the First World War, Mrs. Cooper moved to Georgia to teach in a school.
She was married in the 1920s and remained with her husband
for 40 years. They had four children. Sadly, her husband passed
away almost 50 years ago. Now
Mrs. Cooper has 12 grandchildren and a number of great-grandchildren.
On March 10, she was officially recognized by
Guinness World Records as the oldest person in the world. Her children,
grandchildren, and great-grandchildren came to celebrate the special moment together.
 So, what
is the secret of her longevity? According to her son Sid,
his mother was a very active person when she was
younger. Mrs. Cooper, who had eight brothers and sisters, also led
an active childhood, climbing trees and splashing through rivers
in Tennessee with her older brothers and sisters. “I believe being
active is the secret of her longevity. And she never eats junk food,”
said Sid.
Mrs. Cooper lived alone until she was 105 and
she was unwilling to leave her house. However,
she is currently staying at a nursing home in Georgia because
she can no longer see or hear well.
We hope to celebrate your 115th birthday next year, Mrs. Cooper. Stay healthy! |
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