World's Oldest Woman Dies

Posted November 28, 2008, 9:10 am in Aging

The world's oldest woman, Edna Parker, died Wednesday at a nursing home in Shelbyville, Ind. She was 115. Parker, a former Indiana schoolteacher, was one of the 15 longest lived people ever.

Parker was a member of the group called the super-centenarians -- individuals who are at least 110 years old. She had held the rank of world's oldest person since the Aug. 14, 2007, death in Japan of Yone Minagawa, who was older by four months.

The new holder of the title of world's oldest person is Maria de Jesus of Portugal, who turned 115 on Sept. 10.

The oldest living American and the second-oldest person in the world is now a Los Angeles woman: Gertrude Baines, the daughter of former slaves, who is also the oldest person of African descent in the world. Baines is 114 and lives in a nursing facility near USC.

As a farmer's wife, Parker rose at 4 a.m. to fix breakfast for the family and hired hands and do her chores. She outlived her husband and their two sons. She never remarried. Her survivors include five grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and 13 great-great-grandchildren.

Could you live to 100? Would you want to live to 100? Visit the GB Centenarian Project