INKSTER, MI — After the deaths of a 117-year-old Japanese woman last week and a 116-year-old woman Monday, Jeralean Talley of Inkster is now at the top of a list of the world’s oldest confirmed supercentenarians . At 115 years, 319 days old, Talley is the oldest person documented by the Los Angeles-based Gerontology Research Group.
She was born May 23, 1899, in Montrose, Ga. Asked about her longevity in recent years, Talley has repeatedly pointed upward, referring to her faith. “Don’t ask me. Ask him. It’s all in the good Lord’s hands,” she said at 113 after becoming the oldest living American. “There’s nothing I can do about it,” she said after turning 115 last year.
Talley moved to Michigan in 1935. Her husband Alfred died in 1988. She’s remained active in years with the help of a walker, known to fish and visit church, but gave up bowling at the age of 104.
