Gertrude Baines was born to former slaves in Georgia in 1894 and lived much of her life in Ohio, working as a house mother at a state college before divorcing and moving to Los Angeles, where she now lives in a nursing home, CNN reported Saturday. Her only child, a daughter, died at age 18 of typhoid fever, CNN said.

Baines, who voted for Barack Obama for president, said only God knows why she has lived so long. Ask him. I took good care of myself, the way he wanted me to, Baines said.

Mary Josephine Ray's 113 years span 20 presidents, beginning with Grover Cleveland's second term in office and continuing through to George W. Bush's latter four years. There were 44 states in America when Ray was born north of the border, on Prince Edward Island in Canada, in 1895. The stars and stripes would go on to mark Utah, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska and Hawaii. And as history books were written and rewritten, Ray's story continued, taking the great-great-grandmother to Maplewood Nursing Home in Westmoreland, where staff, friends and members of the four succeeding generations branched off her family tree gathered Saturday to mark her 113th birthday.

June 30, 2007 The supermarket that baked the cake for Olivia Patricia Thomas' birthday party Friday called three times to confirm that the number of candles requested was correct. Olivia Patricia Thomas, the world's 26th oldest person, celebrated her 112th birthday Friday. "They kept calling, asking if I gave them the right number," said Leslie Drdul, the activities director at St. Francis Home of Williamsville. "Even the cashier asked me, 'Do you know you have two No. 1 candles here?' " Thomas, who has lived during three centuries, had no problem blowing out the candles during the celebration in the nursing home where she has lived since she turned 109.

Imagine the thrill of qualifying for placement on one of the world’s most exclusive lists of achievers – one that includes only 79 people globally. Neva Morris, of Ames, is a Supercentenarian, and the only one in Iowa. The Gerontology Research Group (GRG) came up with this term to mean anyone validated to be 110 years old or older. Neva is listed as the 9th oldest person on Wikipedia's list of living supercentenarians. In first place (as of August 2007) is a 115-year old Indiana woman. As expected, the list favors women over men, 72 to 7. One year ago Mrs. Morris became the oldest Iowan following the death of Emma Carroll in Ottumwa. Ms. Carroll died July 10th, 2007 at age 112. Neva celebrated her 110th birthday three years ago at an open reception at Northcrest Community. On August 3rd, 2008, Neva observed her 113th birthday at the same venue, but in a more private celebration. Friends are cordially invited to extend their greetings by mail.

At age 113, Ms. Chiyo Shiraishi is Japan’s oldest supercentenarian (a person 110 years or older). She was born on August 6, 1895 and lives in Ibaraki Prefecture.

Born in Miyakonojo, Miyazaki Prefecture, Tanabe worked as a civil engineer at the city office. He has eight children, 25 grandchildren and 54 great-grandchildren. He says total abstinence from alcohol is the secret to his longevity. On his 112th birthday, he stated: "I want to live forever. I don't want to die," as he received 100,000 yen ($870) and flowers from the local mayor. Tanabe (Guinness Book of World Records' oldest living male, June 2007) is "extremely healthy." He eats vegetables and does not drink alcohol, just daily milk.

One Sister, Rose Warren, is 101 yo. She, like Maggie, lives with relatives. Another sister, Carrie Thornton is 105 yo and in an extended-care hospital in Shreveport. This makes them the oldest group of three living siblings in the world.

Born on February 16, 1896 in her family home in the Merlette neighborhood of Saint Barth, Eugénie Blanchard has lived in the geriatric ward of the island’s De Bruyn hospital since 1980. Practically blind and very weak, she is in good general heath and does not receive any regular medical treatment other than the occasional pill to help her sleep. Introduced to the church by Father DeBruyn, Douchy (as she is called) left for Curacao at the age of 24 and took the veil under the name of Sister Cyria Costa. In 1953, she retired and returned to live in Saint Barth with one of her sisters, then in her parent’s small house. She was given the nickname “Douchy” (which means sweets or candy in Papimiento, a language spoken in Curacao) because she often gave candy to children and they called out “Douchy, Douchy.” On February 16, she celebrated her 112th birthday in the company of her family, and received a proclamation from Saint Barth as the oldest woman in the French West Indies, a title she took on as of Novermber 28, 2007 upon the death of Marie-Louise Lhuillier, who passed away at the age of 112 years and 185 days.

Lucia Lauria widow Vigna (born March 4, 1896) is an Italian supercentenarian who, at the age of 112, is the oldest person in Europe and 10th oldest person in the world. However she is only the second oldest in the European Union as Eugenie Blanchard of France is older, but lives in the overseas collectivity of Saint Barthélemy. Lauria became the oldest person in Italy upon the death of Maria Negri. She lives in the Province of Potenza in her own home with her family. On January 13, 2009, she celebrated her second anniversary as Italy's oldest person. She is currently the fifth-oldest Italian on record, after Virginia Dighero, Teresa Fumarola, Antonio Todde and Giulia Sani.