Obit of the Day

Obit of the Day: World’s Oldest Man

Walter Breuning died yesterday at age, 114. He was born in September 1896. Grover Cleveland was in his second term.

Here are Mr. Breuning’s keys to a long life from his Minneapolis Star-Tribune obituary:

• Embrace change, even when the change slaps you in the face. (“Every change is good.”)

• Eat two meals a day (“That’s all you need.”)

• Work as long as you can (“That money’s going to come in handy.”)

• Help others (“The more you do for others, the better shape you’re in.”)

• Accept death. (His grandfather, a veteran of the Union Army, told him, “We’re going to die. Some people are scared of dying. Never be afraid to die. Because you’re born to die.”)

The world’s oldest living man is now Jiroemon Kimura of Japan, 113 years, 361 days.
The world’s oldest living person is Besse Cooper of the U.S., 114 years, 232 days.
The oldest living person ever, Jeanne Calment of France, 122 years, 164 days.

(Image of Mr. Breuning throwing out the first pitch at a Great Falls (MT) White Sox game, at age 110, courtesy of The National Centenarian Awareness Project, www.adlercentenarians.org.)