Tag Archives: Besse Cooper

One For The Ages

by funklord

So it looks like I’m slipping.  This is one of my favorite subjects to follow, I have been following for years, and I totally blew it.  Dina Manfredini, the worlds oldest person, died in her sleep on December 17th, at the ripe old age of 115.  She held the title for 13 days, having been declared the world’s oldest person by Guinness on December 4th with the passing of Besse Cooper.  Dina’s passing not only hands the mantel over to a non-US citizen for the first time in years, but has ignited a firestorm of cinematic proportions.

China Vs. Japan.  The conflicts these two countries have produced are legendary, but it can be argued that none is older than this one. Japan’s Jiroemon Kimura is officially the world’s oldest person (and man) according to Guinness, BUT Chinese agencies are reporting (and we all know how reliable those are) that Luo Meizhen is the champion with a birth date in 1885, making her 127 years old.  If this is true, she would be the oldest person to EVER have lived (since records of this sort have been kept) besting a french woman at 122 years of age.

What i think is funny is that over the past few years the title has changed very often, given the fragile state of people in this advanced stage of life, and China has said NOTHING.  The last time was a mere 13 days ago!  But when a Japanese person claims the championship, then China suddenly speaks up.  Seems suspiciously timed.

One of the articles I read said that they don’t know how aggressively China is going to fight this, but that Japan should be careful.  I would like to second that, given the dire situation of the Fukishima plant, and the massive empty cities China has at the ready.

Age Ain’t Nuthin’ But a Number – In Memory Of

by funklord

While I have been personally following the world oldest people for years, the FFP first reported Besse Cooper as the world’s oldest person way back in August.  She was born in Tennessee in 1896 and moved to Georgia in WWI.  World War One.  The Red Baron, 19-teens, 100 YEARS AGO!  Her life stretched across three centuries.  I think I find this so interesting because she was alive for every major event you could possibly think of.  30 years removed from The Civil War.  30 years!  The sheer volume of first hand knowledge this person had with them is staggering. It is also so depressingly fragile.  She had a stomach flu but got her hair done anyway.  Afterwards she had trouble breathing, and was dead hours later.

If I was to pinpoint the genesis for the decline of culture in the US, I think it starts with our absolute obsession with youth, and the complete dismissal of the elderly.  The circle of life was meant to close with review.  Lessons, traditions, stories of times gone by.  Things we could look at as our foundation, to take the good and improve on the bad.  They made the mistakes, and their job is to make sure the youngest generation does not make those same goofs.

Seniors aren’t useless, they are vital.  Although I never met Besse, I am confident she was a national treasure.

In her place lies another American, NOW world’s oldest person 115-year-old Dina Manfredini of Iowa.

Age ain’t nuthin’ but a number (In this case, it’s 116).

by funklord

Way before the Funk Freedom Press was founded, the ole Funklord had an obsession with the world’s oldest people.  I fine it absolutely fascinating that in the past few years, there has been so much movement and change in the “World’s Oldest Person” category.

Currently topping the ranks is adorable Besse Cooper, born in 1896 in Tennessee, just some 50 years after the Civil War.  She was 50 years removed from Lincoln, 33 when the Stock Market crashed, and was 64 when Kennedy was elected.  Telegraph/Telegram/Telephone/Smartphone.  I wish I could get an hour with her.  One hour to ask her to briefly gloss over her 116 years of life.   In this youth obsessed society we forget how important our senior generations are.  They have lived through it all, they have seen it all.  They are living history.  How have her feelings changed?  How have her values changed?

I could go on and on.  Read the article.  It has some interesting stuff on World records as well.