Miss Susie recently celebrated her 114th birthday.
Her family, friends, and well-wishers visited her on Friday at the Vandalia senior center in Brooklyn where she now resides. The Gerontology Research Group confirmed that Miss Sussie is the oldest New Yorker, the second-oldest in the country, and the third-oldest worldwide.
Her family considers her a living history and a blessing. “She’s living history and a blessing, a true blessing,” said Richard Clay, her 69-year-old godson in New York Times. “I have a little ways to go to catch up with her.”
Susannah Mushatt Jones, Miss Susie’s full name, was born in July 6, 1899 in Lowndes County in Alabama. She is one of the 58 living supercentenarians as of May 2013, 52 females and 6 males, listed by the research group based on the birth records and census data they have gathered. One is considered a supercentenarian as soon as he reaches 110 years old.
Miss Susie does not have any children but she was married but got divorced. She then dedicated her life taking care of her siblings and nieces. One of her nieces, Lavilla Mushatt Watson, who is now 81 years old, owes her college education to her favorite aunt. “I am who I am because of her,” she said.
Miss Susie started losing her eyesight at her 90s but kept it to her family, pretending she can still see them. Now, her latest problems are keeping her head up and hearing. She is also under medication for high blood pressure and takes a daily vitamin. However, she still has a very soft skin which is common for young people. At her age, she still would want to be independent and refuse to be taken care of at times. “Sometimes, she tells me, ‘Don’t tell me what to do’,” said Cicely Fraser, home attendant for the senior center who had been taking care of Miss Sussie for over a decade.
The people around her hope that Miss Susie will still live until 125 years old at the least. The oldest supercentanarian before she died was Sarah Knauss who passed away at age 119 in a nursing home.
