Gertrude Baines
Gertrude Baines was next in line as the oldest living person in America in 2009, after the death of Maria de Jesus. She however passed away a few months after Maria in September at the age of 115 years, 158 days. She recalled her earliest childhood memory being a trip to Canada. Born in Georgia on 6 April 1894 she passed away in Los Angeles, California in 2009 – the modest woman to die in California.
She had shockingly lived on her own until she was 105 years old and she had never been seriously sick until her 112th birthday. She also lost her only daughter to typhoid fever at age 18. She credits God for her longevity, and most importantly she believed she lived the way he would have wanted her to. Her parents had been slaves so she didn’t hesitate to vote for Obama back in 2008 during the elections.