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Visited my 91 year old aunt a few weeks back when I went to my 97 year old uncle's funeral. He was her sister's husband and not a blood relative.
My father died of liver cancer at 58 but the doctor said he had the circulatory system of a teen and if the cancer had not happened he would have lived a long life. My mother passed a week before her 85th birthday from a blood clot probably caused by a hip replacement. Her grandfather was in his late 90's when he passed.
I have lost three siblings to cancer. The oldest was 70.
I think this thread is a bit self-selecting. Many people posting about their relatives living to a ripe old age. Those of us whose relatives died younger perhaps aren't posting here. Mine are in this category, to wit:
Father: 55 (heart disease)
Mother : 80 (aneurysm, arterial disease)
Paternal aunt: 80 (heart disease)
One set of grandparents: both around 80 I think, heart disease
Rest of relatives are unknown, mother was adopted.
Husband's mother was about 72 (heart disease), father was 86 (stroke.)
I think this thread is a bit self-selecting. Many people posting about their relatives living to a ripe old age. Those of us whose relatives died younger perhaps aren't posting here. Mine are in this category, to wit:
Father: 55 (heart disease)
Mother : 80 (aneurysm, arterial disease)
Paternal aunt: 80 (heart disease)
One set of grandparents: both around 80 I think, heart disease
Rest of relatives are unknown, mother was adopted.
Husband's mother was about 72 (heart disease), father was 86 (stroke.)
80 is good. Mother: 76, Father will be 88 in a few months. I have a great grandmother who died at 96 and a great aunt who is currently 102.
BUT, according to death certificates, my maternal gm died of "senility" at 78 and one gggrandma died of "dementia" at 67.
My mother's mother was born in 1891 and died in 1996 at the age of 105. Her daughter, my favorite aunt, died one year ago age 92. Grandma outlived 3 of her 6 children, including my mother. My father's older brother's wife is still alive and she is either 94 or 95.
Interestingly, I have now outlived - in terms of longevity - both my father's parents: Grandpa was 58 and Grandma was 54. Both had diabetes.
Wow! Your Great Grandfather was incredibly cool!!! I am so jealous...
Thank you, you would have liked my other GG as much, he narrowly escaped meeting a noose, moved from the south to the north with the help of the Shakers and became a lawyer. Honestly not bragging just very appreciative of having known such strong determined people. It has been a rough existance. I only briefly met My GG George Black, when I was around 7 or 8 y/o and under not so great circumstances when my mother left my dad. I almost grew up around the family living in the, we were all set up in a house in everything, but, was court ordered to return us to NY. Just a little extra FYI, maybe TMI.
What I have seen seen of longevity is that the quality of life is pretty grim.
I have to agree with both of these comments. I've known quite a few elderly people, relatives in their upper 90's (not genetically related), and very few had a good quality of life past the early 90's. My great uncle Harrold was an exception --he was a practicing dentist at 94, and fell ill and died within a week--no infirmity, no loss of mental capacity. My grandmother, on the other hand (again, not genetically related), was 91, and she was a physical mess, in a lot of pain, when she died; her sister made it to about 97 and she was not a happy camper (although that was largely because she was a fairly stupid person with few interests.) I have a friend right now who is 90. She's been hale and hearty until a year or so ago, but has failed rapidly and now is in a care facillity, her mental faculties finally going (not Alzheimer's I think, just plain old mild senility.)
So I think a healthy 90 would be a great age to make it to. I doubt I will, with my genetic background.
But...I think quality of life is MUCH more important than the length of it. I could die tomorrow and be happy with my life.
Last edited by Wwanderer; 10-05-2013 at 11:34 AM..
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Mother: 76, Father will be 88 in a few months. I have a great grandmother who died at 96 and a great aunt who is currently 102. 
Honestly not bragging just very appreciative of having known such strong determined people. It has been a rough existance. I only briefly met My GG George Black, when I was around 7 or 8 y/o and under not so great circumstances when my mother left my dad. I almost grew up around the family living in the, we were all set up in a house in everything, but, was court ordered to return us to NY. Just a little extra FYI, maybe TMI. 
