Gertrude Baines the world’s oldest woman has died at the ripe old age of 115. She had become the world’s oldest person when a woman named Maria de Jesus died in January also at the age of 115. At her birthday party in April, Gertrude could not believe it when she was handed the certificate from the Guinness Book of World Records saying that she was now the oldest person in the world. She passed away at 7:25 a.m. at the hospital where she had lived for quite a few years. The name of the hospital was the Western Convalescent Hospital located in Los Angeles California. Dr. Charles Witt said that Gertrude told him she owed her longevity to never drinking, or smoking at all during her lifetime.Gertrude’s grandparents worked as slaves during the 1800’s. She worked as a maid who cleaned dorm rooms at Ohio State University until she retired. Last November during the election she was the oldest African American to vote for Barack Obama. Obama wrote her a letter for her 115 birthday thanking her for getting out and voting for him even though she was a senior citizen. Gertrude was planning on voting for Obama again in another four years in 2012. She said that she never thought she would live until the day an African American was elected to be the president of the United States of America.
I think that this is a wonderful story about a amazing old lady. One of the most important thing that I learned was that if you don’t drink or smoke it may help you stay alive longer than expected. Even though she was 115 years old that did not stop her going out and voting, which shows me how important voting is. People should learn from this story how important voting is for all citizens, the people that are half her age should learn from this story that nothing should stop them from voting. She is a role model for people young and old for not drinking or smoking and for going out and voting. All in all I think that this is a great story.
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