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Ecuador Grabs Oldest Person Crown from U.S.

Guinness confirms 116 year old as oldest but Chicago woman may be 118

	Oldest living person - Maria Esther Capovilla, Ecuador
	Maybe the oldest - Roberta Weston, Chicago

Dec. 20, 2005 – Major changes are occurring in the list of supercenternarians and oldest living people of the world, as a 116 year old woman from Ecuador is given the title of "oldest" by Guinness World Records, displacing American Elizabeth "Lizzie" Bolden, who is just 115. The battle is not over, however, as a woman in Chicago is alleged to be 118.

Guinness proclaimed Maria Esther Capovilla as the oldest living person on December 10 after reviewing details from her family including a birth and marriage certificate.

December 11, 2005; Quito, ECUADOR (Reuters and The Herald Sun of Melbourne, AUSTRALIA) -- - A 116-year-old Ecuadorian woman was declared "the oldest living person in the world" yesterday, lifting the title from a U.S. woman previously thought to be the oldest person alive, Guinness World Records said. Sra. Maria Esther Capovilla was confirmed as the oldest living person after her family sent details of her Birth and Marriage Certificates to Guinness World Records. "We only told her yesterday she was the new Guinness World Record holder," the Brand Manager at the records publisher, Ms. Kate White, said.

Ms. Kate White of Guinness was quoted as saying about Capovilla, "We hadn't heard of her before. She's in very good health, she's got good eye sight, is able to read the papers and watch television and doesn't walk with a cane." Capovilla was born in Guayaqull, Western Ecuador, on September 14, 1889, and lives there with her daughter-in-law and her son.

She had five children and has four grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. Her husband passed away in 1949, Guinness reported.

Ms. White said Mrs. Capovilla had been asked what she thought about the changes she had seen over her life. She said she "disliked the fact that presently it's acceptable for women to pursue men."

And she said that "every day she thanks God that she's alive." As a girl at the turn of the century, one of Mrs. Capovilla's favorite pastimes was going to parties, but she never drank alcohol. At the time, it was the custom for women to "just touch the rim of the glass with their lips without drinking, as a sign of accepting hospitality," her family said.

Elizabeth Bolden, from Memphis, TN, born August 15, 1890, had previously been regarded as the oldest living person.

But, the Gerontology Research Group is reporting it has made contact with relatives of Mrs. Roberta Weston, the Chicago woman that was reported to be age 118 by NBC5-TV. The Gerontology Research Group (GRG) validates Supercentenarians - anyone who has lived to be 110 years or older.

GRG says, "We have not yet received documents to corroborate nor deny her claim, so we cannot validate the story. She was born in Mississippi at a time when birth certificates were not issued and the entry in her family bible was destroyed in a home fire."

On August 9, 2005; the Chicago television station reported, "A local woman on Tuesday celebrated a day most people will never see -- her 118th birthday! Mrs. Roberta Weston was recognized by Mayor Richard Daley as the oldest living person in the United States, and she may be the world record holder as well."

GRG said the family has denied receiving any acknowledgement from the Mayor's office.

In further changes, the confirmed ninth oldest person, Ms. M. Gladys Swetland of Pennsylvania died on Dec. 14.

As of yesterday, the U.S. still claimed 10 of the 25 oldest people on the supercentenarian list maintained by the GRG, as it did last September. But, in September, the U.S. had the three top spots on the list. Now, Ecuador has claimed the top spot.

But, although the death of Ms. Swetland has moved Yone Minagawa of Japan up to number nine, the U.S. has the rare honor of adding a man to the top ten. Moses Hardy, 112, joins Emilian Mercado del Toro in the top ten. Del Toro, a 114 year old Puerto Rican, is number five and the oldest living U.S. military veteran.

As of Dec. 18, 2005 here are the 25 oldest listed by the Gerontoology Research Group at http://grg.org/Adams/E.HTM

71 Supercentenarians (63 Females: 8 Males) on our list