Jeralean Talley, a Detroit woman and considered to be the oldest American, celebrated her 115th birthday on Friday in the company of family and friends in the community of Inkster, reported local media.
Besides being the oldest American, Talley, who was born on May 23, 1899 in Montrose, Georgia, is considered to be the second oldest living person in the world, after Japanese Misao Okawa, born in 1898, according to ABC.
Reuters highlighted that despite her advanced age, Talley enjoys excellent health and can still walk on her own with the help of a walker.
Although she says she feels perfectly fine, the aged woman occasionally has pains in her knees, her right hand shakes, she's hard of hearing and her memory is not what it used to be, and that's why before celebrating her 115th birthday in the company of her family in Inkster, she underwent a brief medical check up.
The Gerontology Research Group, an organization in charge of following the oldest people in the world, confirmed through census data that in fact Talley is the oldest person living in the United States.
Her husband died in 1988 and in recent years she has remained in the care of her 76 year old daughter, who lives with her. In the celebration for her most recent birthday, she was congratulated by her religious group, her family and other friends from the community who signed cards and brought flowers to the woman, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Even Mayor Hilliard Hampton took some time to assist to Mrs. Talley's congregation and congratulate her on her birthday and and declared an annual day to honor the woman "starting now and forever," according to the same source.
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