cchris

CHEERS


The simple life inspires.

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Hermann Dörnemann, the oldest man in Germany, celebrated his 111th birthday on Thursday. The secret of his longevity?

Avoid exercise and drink lots of beer.

Health experts might be inclined to shake their heads in disapproval at Hermann Dörnemann's lifestyle, but his disavowal of all sporting activities and a taste for his home town's local brew seem to have done the trick.

In addition to a daily glass of "Altbier," Dörnemann is also known to drink the water his potatoes are boiled in, as that's where the vitamins are.

The Düsseldorf resident celebrated his 111th birthday with just a few close family members, preferring to forgo the media circus that descended on last year's party.

"We didn't invite anyone this year, but a few neighbors and colleagues will probably drop by," said Dörnemann's daughter, Rita Klein, 64. She says the secret to her father's long life is his even-tempered personality.


"I've never heard him complain. He was always very content," she said. She described her father as a gentleman of the old school, who even at the ripe age of 100 still held the door open for "young ladies in their 70's."

Dörnemann was born in Essen in 1893 as the youngest of eight children. He moved to Düsseldorf in 1947, where he worked as an electrical engineer.

Dörnemann may be Germany's oldest man, but Germany's oldest person is Lina Zimmer of Stuttgart -- she's six months his senior.

According to the Guiness Book of World Records, the oldest living person is Ramona Trinidad Iglesias-Jordan of Puerto Rico, who was born on Aug. 31, 1889.

DW staff (dc)

Chuckles

Thats insane.

sailor

Hahaha, thats awesome.

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Yakk

I hope some geneticist has a sample of that man's DNA, and is working on the problem right now. =)

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Last edited by JHVH : 10-29-4004 BC at 09:00 PM. Reason: Time for a rest.

grayman

Just shows you that all the health info out there will only do so much. When you are born, how long you will live is pretty much set.

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crow_daw

Yeah, that reminds me of Lewis Black's recent Black on Broadway special on HBO. He said that he thinks every single person has a different health. What is harmless to you may kill the guy next to you in a matter of years. I thought it was a very interesting point, and I pretty much agree with it.

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Eugeni

I plan to live 120! That's what I always say.

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titular

skier

I wonder how long his genetics would allow him to live if he ate right and did lots of excercise in his life.

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theguyondacouch

Prolly woulda died at 40.

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Rodney

From my personal experience and what I've seen, most people who make it to advanced old ages -- have one thing in common: they're all calm and mellow people. They're pretty even-tempered, take life as it comes, and don't worry much about the past or the future. Some speculate that a lack of mental stress leads to less physical stress and greater longevity.

ARTelevision

Oldest Person Dies at 114 in Puerto Rico

Associated Press

June 1, 2004, 12:37 AM EDT

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Ramona Trinidad Iglesias Jordan, who at age 114 was recognized as the world's oldest person, has died after a bout with pneumonia, her family said Monday.

Iglesias died Saturday in a nursing home in San Juan, said Rene Matos, a great nephew who lives in El Paso, Texas. She was three months from turning 115.

"I was hoping she could make it to her 115th birthday, but it was impossible," Matos said by telephone from Texas. "She was in the hospital about four or five days, and the day after she was released she died in the nursing home."

Iglesias earned the distinction in April when Guinness World Records declared her the world's oldest living woman after a check of documents.

A baptismal certificate showed Iglesias was born Aug. 31, 1889, while a birth certificate issued in 1948 showed her birth date as Sept. 1, 1889.

Fred Hale Sr., 113, of Syracuse, N.Y., is listed by Guinness as the world's oldest man. He was born on Dec. 1, 1890.

Her death could make Hendrikje van Andel-Schipper, 113, of the Netherlands the oldest living person, according to news reports. She was born in Smilde on June 29, 1890.

Matos, 64, said he thinks her longevity stemmed from her having "a very easy life -- easy in the sense that she didn't have too much to worry about."

Her husband was a bank manager in the 1940s and '50s who passed away in the 1970s, Matos said. They never had any children and lived peacefully, he said.

She enjoyed a beer with meals, Matos said.

"Even when she was over 100 years, every time we took her out to a restaurant, she always like to have a beer, a small beer, a 7-ounce beer with the food," he said. "That was the first thing she asked for when she got to a restaurant."

Iglesias was born near the end of Spanish rule in Puerto Rico, which was seized by the United States in 1898....

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Thanks cchris - good story.
just updating your mention of Ramona Trinidad Iglesias Jordan...

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MaGlC_MaN

yea i think if youre gonna live long then youre gonna live long. it's crazy how some ppl can be healthy at such an old age, i saw this like 80 year old dude advertising some shit that's supposed to help you live longer or something and he was lifting himselft up off the chair he was sitting in with his arms for like 5 minutes at a time.

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Bye.

Esco

But ... would you really want to live that long? Isn't there a real good chance all your loved ones have passed?

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Yakk

Collect, or make, new ones!

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Last edited by JHVH : 10-29-4004 BC at 09:00 PM. Reason: Time for a rest.

Ripp3r

I'm pretty sure the stories they have to tell are pretty amazing ... they basicly saw a whole century of evolution pass by them ...

I would not want to live that long I think ... unless I can preserve my youthful energy ... and live forever ... just for the heck of it

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denim

That's the spirit! I wonder if he still can.

Talk about a May-December marriage; it's more like a 1 May - 32 December marriage.

viejo gringo

Hey, us old Germans are tough---
my dad was 87
his dad was 92
his dad was 94
I may make it to 71---it's hell being perfect...

mingusfingers

Woot. I'd like to think I'm easygoing, but I do worry about money, even though it's not an issue to me, yet. I don't want to think about if I get worried about debt.

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